


Fascination of the Sea (INDEFINITE HIATUS)

by Galaxy_Phoenix



Category: Dragon Quest Series, Dragon Quest XI
Genre: Alternate Universe, Erik is a Sweetheart, Eventual Romance, Fluff, Implied/Referenced Abuse, M/M, Mute Hero | Luminary (Dragon Quest XI), Past Abuse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-09
Updated: 2020-09-26
Packaged: 2021-02-28 07:21:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 23,868
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22620040
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Galaxy_Phoenix/pseuds/Galaxy_Phoenix
Summary: Pirate Erik and his crew are looking for treasure but found something, or rathersomeone,even better instead.Marked T for mild swearing and referenced past abuse (nothing graphic)
Relationships: Camus | Erik/Hero | Luminary (Dragon Quest XI)
Comments: 29
Kudos: 102





	1. Finding Treasure

A salty sea-breeze greeted Erik's face, providing some cool respite in the rising heat of the morning. The waves that parted alongside the ship glistened in the golden rays of the morning sun above. The crew aboard _The Blue Maiden_ was bustling about in their usual duties of cleaning the deck and keeping a lookout. 

"We should 'ave some smooth sailing' fer the time bein', Captain." The Navigator told him.

"Good to hear. Keep the course steady."

"Right on, sir!"

Erik had his full Pirate Captain's attire on with the fancy black coat, silk tunic and vest, and his decorative headband keeping his eye patch in place. Mia helped him with some of the fashion choices and even scored the bandana for him from successfully robbing a rival pirate. He had to look intimidating while still looking dashing as they had their occasional sea battles. 

The wooden stairs creaked under his black boots as he walked down to the main deck. His first act of the morning was to inspect the cannons and other weaponry to see that they were cleaned.

"Old Smity, I don't know how you do it, but they're shining!"

"Thank you, sir! I've been at this a long time, and it's second nature to me at this point. I'm glad they're to your liking, sir."

"Mind if I ask a favor?"

"Anything at all!"

"If you have time, can you sharpen my sword in your shop when you do the blades? I think it's going dull."

"Let me take a look at it, sir."

Erik undid the sheath from his sash and handed the sword to him, who took a closer look at it. 

"Yeah, it's looking a little dull. I'll take care of that sir!"

"Thank you."

If it wasn't for his crew, he would have never gotten this far in life. He owed it to them, so being somewhat nice was the least he could do. They all had been under horrible captains who would rip them to shreds for the slightest disobedience. 

Erik swore that he would never become like his old captains and that if he did, his crew had full permission to mutiny and murder him. 

He then went across the deck and sat down on one of the crates next to his sister and First mate Mia, who was relaxing against the crates.

"How much closer do we have until we find that island?"

"Well, if everything is correct and the weather is this clear, we should reach there in less than a week."

"Well, I was expecting worse but that's fine. It's gonna suck if we find it a bust."

"Don't worry, we'll find it."

"CAPTAIN!!"

Erik was startled to attention by the call, knowing something was wrong just by the urgent tone of voice.

"What is it?" Erik yelled to the Navigator at the wheel.

"Rival ship! Rival ship just ahead in the distance!"

Shit, there was gonna be a sea battle. 

"Man your stations and brace yourselves! Spare no one!" Erik commanded as he drew his double knives out. His knives would be more than enough, especially combined with his speed. Mia had her own set that she had prepared. They both ran to the main deck to join the rest of the active crew, ready to fight. Some of the crew members were down below ready to fire the cannons at the given word. A few miles out, they could catch a glimpse of the rival ship in question. Erik's grip on his knives tightened with anticipation.

The ships started to circle around the area and Erik could see the rival crew on their main deck, a nasty bunch with a ruthlessly awful demeanor. He could even see the toothy, mocking smiles plastered on their stupid faces. 

"FIRE AWAY!"

Not even a minute had passed when a barrage of cast iron cannonballs was fired and launched into the bottom curve of the rival ship, knowing that would sink it much faster. The rival ship fired back but the Goddess was thankfully on their side as there was minimal damage on the ship that could be patched up easily. Erik's crew fired another line of cannonballs, half at the ship and the other half aimed at the main deck where the rival pirates were. There were a few casualties but the ones that survived had their blood boiling and were itching to fight more in close-combat melee. 

"Bring the ship closer so we can bring the fight to them!"

"Aye aye, sir!"

The Navigator was able to steer the ship with relative ease and was able to get close enough for the walking crew on the main deck to cross to the rival ship safely. Longboards, as well as swinging ropes, were used in getting the other crew to the other side. 

This was their time to shine. 

In the midst of the chaos, Erik immediately went for the captain, the nastiest one of them all. The bastard easily stood a foot taller than him and his overwhelming size was the result of his old-fashioned greed and gluttony. His wild, gray hair stuck out in all directions and smelled strongly of tobacco. His worn clothes showed years of rough travels and reveal his old veteran age of the seas. To top it all off, his wide, toothy grin was enough to spur nightmares to even the most experienced pirates. The old bastard may have had his sword and his size, but Erik had one thing that the old sea pirate didn’t.

_Luck._

Give the man some knives and he’s all set. He lunged first, aiming for the gut. The rival captain brandished his sword and slashed diagonally, and Erik dodged a split second early to avoid a cut to the chest. He ducked low and shot up, landing a cut to his collarbone. The rival captain did another wide slash, this time horizontal and waist height. Erik bent backward into a backflip and once landing on his feet for a hot minute, he used the downforce to spring himself forward and land a right hook on his face. The brunt force was actually enough to make him dizzy, which provided Erik a window of opportunity to easily kick his ass. Using both of his knives, he double-slashed his face before giving him a hard kick in the chest to knock him backward and land into the wall, defeated.

The chaos meanwhile had finally been contained with the rival crew either knocked out or had jumped overboard previously. Erik took one look at the main deck and flashed a thumbs-up, earning a cheer from his crewmates. 

“Alright then, let’s see what these old bastards got!”

The crew scattered to search the ship for any treasure to find as Mia ran to her brother. “Anything good?” Erik asked her as he sheathed his knives back into his sash. 

“That fight wasn’t even a real one! These bozos didn't even put up that much of a fight."

"The captain was a little weaker than normal, too. Probably was too busy gloating about himself-"

"CAPTAIN!"

Their attention turned to one of their crewmates, Big Fish, who looked to be in a panic. 

"What's wrong?"

"You're gonna wanna see this."

Big Fish led a confusedly concerned Captain and First Mate to a nearby storage area. Several of the other crewmates were talking amongst themselves in a hushed tone, going silent when seeing Erik. Erik walked through the crowd and parting them, was shown a rather awful surprise of a sight.

There against the wall on the floor laid a human being, a young man no older than him, tangled up in messy fishing nets and covered by an old cloth covering the lower half of his body. His skin was dry looking, cracked even in a few places, and looked in such terrible shape that Erik thought they found a corpse. There were bruises all over his body that he could see. 

His mop of chestnut hair revealed a face, a soft face, tearful and scared. His blue-gray eyes looked wet, like he had been crying earlier and the poor thing was shaking and scared.

Erik's heart started to break. The crew members backed up to give some space as Erik got his knees. He slowly crawled up to the huddled form on the ground. The scared, tangled up man looked up slowly at him, too weak to do anything.

"Did they do this to you?"

His answer was a slow nod. Erik felt his anger starting to bubble but he kept his feelings locked as the last thing he wanted was to scare him even more. 

"We're gonna get you out of this, okay? It's gonna be okay," Erik tried to soothe, hoping to calm him. He took his knife out and started cutting the fishing net several strands at a time.

"I'll get this blanket off and work on the other end." Mia said, already walking around to the other side of him.

"Thanks."

Mia took off the cloth and, to the shock of everyone in attendance, revealed a long, purple fish tail that looks faded and cracked. What was even more surprising was that the fish body was attached to the man at his hips. There was no doubt about it.

This was a living, breathing mermaid.

Well, a _merman_ in this case, but the point still stands.

Erik couldn't help but stare a moment at the weakly flopping tail. He was in worse shape than previously thought.

His anger was coming up again, and he used it to fuel his energy to cut the fishing net as fast as he could. Magical creature or not, this was undeniably cruel. 

It had to take two men to cut the horrible knots in the netting that were wrapped around his tail. They had to take some extra precaution as to not injure him even further. As they were waiting on getting the last of the netting off, Erik noticed a weird symbol on his stomach as well as his left hand. It was a symbol that he wasn't familiar with, so he made a mental note to ask later when the merman wasn't in a hurting, distressed state. 

The tail was finally free from the netting but the poor merman was too weak and bruised to make much movement. Without a moment of hesitancy, Erik quickly snatched up the merman with some struggle but regained his grip and was able to cradle him properly.

"'s okay, 's okay, I got you."

The merman in his arms looked weakly up him and Erik almost drowned in those eyes of his. They may have lost their sparkle but they still had a special hold on him that he couldn't quite shake.

"What now, captain?" Stout asked, a smaller man with the thinnest body of the crew.

"Scavenge what you can for treasure and get back on the ship. I'll keep an eye on the merman."

"A'right, well give us a shaout if ye need anything'."

The first thing he needed to do was get the merman back on the ship and help him recover. Finding the thickest longboard, Erik carefully walked across, not minding the sea below. Crossing to the other side, he met up with some of the crew members who came back early. 

"Can't believe we found an actual merman! I guess those old rumors were right."

"This is going to be interesting from here on out."

It was certainly going to be.

"Wait, wasn't there a thing that said that mermaids and the like could be vicious?"

"Nah, that's hogwash."

"How do you know that, you've never seen one!"

The rest of the crew was trickling back to join up by the time the argument escalated. Erik noted that the merman was about to say something trying to weakly communicate with his hands.

Instead, he started coughing and having difficulty breathing by grasping his throat, which made the entire crew panic. This meant that the merman had been out of water for so long that he could die at any moment.

"Someone get some water and put in a large tank! We don't have much time!"

Several of the crew members launch barrels overboard tied with some rope and with the help of others, managed to pull up that same barrels full of saltwater, big enough to house a person. Another crew member pushed forth an old, glass case with an open top that had been in storage to them, allowed the barrels of water to be dumped in and fill the tank enough to completely engulf the struggling merman. Erik immediately went for the tank and laid the merman into the glass tank so that he could be covered in the ocean water. They waited to see if anything was changing

What happened right then and there was what they swore to be actual magic.

There in the tank, with his entire body in water, he regained his healthy color starting with his face and working its way down to his tail, where the faded lavender turned into a rich purple. Even all of his injuries were wiped clean off of his body like a wet cloth removing a stain. The symbol on his stomach and hand began to glow golden but for a little while before it faded back to its dark shade. 

All was quiet for a moment before he grabbed the edges of the tank and shot himself into sitting up, making water splash about dramatically. He took a deep breath before he came to himself and looked at the crew in his right through wet, dripping hair.

Erik heard stories of mermaids being pretty but Almighty Yggdrasil he was not prepared for this sheer beauty of a being. Those eyes that looked blank before were radiant and lively like the jewels that he acquired in his travels. 

Hell, his entire form was a treasure to be cherished.

Erik tried to hide the pinkish tint of his cheeks. 

"So what now?" Mia asked.

A reasonable question.

Erik went forward and pulled up a crate next to the tank where the merman currently sat. Some followed suit while some stood by. 

"Are you feeling better?"

The merman nodded, now more seemingly aware of his new surroundings.

"Can you at least tell us your name?"

The merman started making those weird yet oddly familiar movements with his hands. Erik then remembered that he tried to communicate earlier when he was far weaker. He also noted that he hasn't said a word since they found him.

At first everyone was confused until Mia pointed out "Wait a second, I think he's mute."

Then everything made sense.

"Wait, can you spell your name again? Sorry, my translation skills are a little rusty."

< E-L-E-V-E-N >

"Eleven?"

The merman nodded again. Sweet Goddess, he was pretty. 

"How did you get captured by those guys?"

< I got caught in one of their fishing nets. I tried to get out but they found me and tied me up in it to trap me. >

"And the bruises?"

< They kicked me when I fought back. When I got weaker, it became too much but they left me alone. >

Erik's anger kicked back in again and this time it was starting to show in his face and posture. Mia knew how he was feeling based on body language alone and she could tell it ate at him.

"How long did they keep you out of the water?" Erik asked, his voice thinly veiling his emotions. 

< I can't remember. It was a long time that it felt like weeks. >

Erik's face sent stone-cold and Mia knew it was the last straw that broke the camel's back. Erik sat there for a moment processing everything in silence.

One moment went by.

Another moment.

Another moment.

_Then Erik instantly pulled out one of his knives and immediately went for the ship’s edge, feeling murderous intent._

“NO CAPTAIN!” His crew cried out, having to have three of his strongest men hold him back before he goes on a murder spree. They knew he had no qualms of ripping people to shreds and that he was absolutely, positively _**pissed.**_

Eleven calmly waited in his tank, watching the scene unfold. As a little scared as he was for Erik’s sudden anger, he was also comforted that he felt that strongly about what happened to him. 

That he actually cared for him, regardless of the fact that he’s a merman. 

It took several minutes of some hard struggling before the crew holding Erik back was able to calm him back down and wear him out enough that he would be too weak to continue. Erik chilled out, so he was let go and it gave him some room to put his knife away. 

“Let’s get out of here.”

“Right on, cap’ain. Where to?” The Navigator asked.

“Puerto Valor.”

“On it.” The Navigator went back to the ship’s wheel to figure out coordinates. 

“In the meantime, did any of you find anything interesting?”

“We certainly did, boss! They must’ve gotten back from a hunt!” They responded happily.

“Alright then, let’s see what we’ve got.”

The crew laid out all of the available treasure that they managed to salvage from the rival pirates and to Erik’s glee, the treasure came to be worth more than what he thought it was. A priceless amount of gold would be enough to make them rich for years if they played the cards right. At least with the funds, the ship could be afforded with some renovations and make it even stronger. 

“We’re rich with this stash!” Mia exclaimed, already admiring the design on one of the coins in her hand. 

“Enough to take care of the ship and still have more than enough left over!”

The crew gleefully went through the treasure to examine everything. Mia looked over to Eleven, who had been watching from nearby curiously, and caught his attention. Taking some of the coins with her, Mia ran over to him in the tank and sat up against the tank wall. Eleven leaned over the tank to get a better look at the coins in her hand.

“You see these? These are older coins, about a few decades old. You can tell because of who the head is on this side…” Mia went on with Eleven holding active interest. Every now and again, his tail would flap about if he got excited but remained calm for the most part. 

Erik looked on at the two of them and sighed. When they were looking for treasure, they weren't expecting to bring another to their crew.

_Later in the evening_

The stars above hung over the ocean and the night sky provided a lovely backdrop against the deck of the ship. The crew were all circled about, sitting on crates in front of the glowing lantern and doing their own thing, whether it be eating their supper, cleaning one of their weapons or just talking about what happened or what will happen next. 

The environment of the crew was relatively quiet on the main deck.

Back in his captain’s quarters, Erik was at his desk, doing his nightly study of the world map. He made his adjustments, calculated the distance based on nearby landmasses, as well as plan ahead for future exploits.

He took a moment to look up and see Eleven sleeping soundly in the hammock that rocked gently back and forth like an infant in a cradle. He was wearing one of Erik’s tunics, drenched in ocean water as they found that him just being wet from wet fabric is enough to tide him over in case there wasn’t any body of water they could get him during their travels. A cream-colored, woolen blanket was draped over his form to keep him warm. In his sleep, the fins of his tail would flap slightly and twitch. Erik melted a little at the sight, sighing as he couldn’t help but stare.

_Before_

_”Well if he’s going to be a member of the crew, we gotta figure out where to put him.” Erik commented._

_”There’s not any room left below deck. All that’s been taken up.”_

_Eleven, sitting on one of the crates, quietly listened to their conversation, pondering what solution they would come up with. He then noted a hammock that had some miscellaneous fabrics and other objects in it that appeared large enough and strong enough to fit a human person._

_It reminded him of his old bed that he had before._

_< How about that one? >_

_"Wait, Erik, he's saying something. What is it?" Mia asked, both of their full attention on him._

_< How about that one hanging by the window? >_

_"Are you sure about that one?"_

_< I had a bed like that one before. >_

_Well, it wasn't like they had another option._

_Now_

Erik looked on fondly at the sleeping form in the hammock and had forgotten about his work.

His work could wait anyway.

He quietly got up from his chair and stepped over to the hammock. He pulled up the blanket just a little and tucked it in carefully. He took one last look at his sweet face and was brave enough to place a soft kiss on his forehead before walking back to his own bed to get ready for the night.

\-----

Eleven had quickly won the hearts of the entire crew. With his kind face, sweet smile and his wonderful curiosity, he had become part of the crew, even if he couldn't move around on his own. The crew would volunteer individually to carry him around the ship and they would receive a sweet smile and thanks in return. Erik had initially been a little worried about them not being able to understand him but Mia had taken up the role of teaching them simple sign language to communicate with him better and they had expressed no concern with carrying him around. So Erik breathed a sigh of relief and let it be. 

He would watch Eleven being completely engrossed in watching someone do a task, like watching Old Smity clean a blade. It never occurred to him that even the simplest of tasks could be so interesting to someone else, especially someone who had lived under the waves his entire life. 

Another thought occurred to him.

Where was his old home?

Surely he had a place before he was captured. Erik was sure of it, as he had heard stories of fantastical kingdoms under the sea. Maybe he lived in one of those. 

Erik kept the manner in the back of his mind to ask him later, along with the symbols on his body. Obviously they're something magical but what?

When evening fell, the whole crew was around the lantern again on the main deck of the ship. Eleven was with them this time, taking in the whole scene while enjoying some mead that was offered. It was a different taste but Eleven welcomed it. One of the other members pulled out a harmonica and started doing a tune on it, much to the boisterous acceptance of the others. Eleven gently bobbed his head to the music and even flapped his tail a little, liking this new sound.

Erik leaned up against a crate nearby, taking in the scene quietly. He watched Eleven enjoying himself with them and felt content. 

Then the thought came back to haunt him. If the place was real, then Eleven would have to go back soon and leave them. He hoped he wouldn't get too attached to the merman, but his heart had other ideas. 

He wanted to protect him and care for him...

His face was getting warm again and he had no doubt he was blushing. It seems that he had fallen for this merman harder than he thought. 

_Later that evening_

A thunderstorm was rolling through the night but it was only producing low rumbling at the moment. Besides that, it was relatively calm. 

Until Erik woke up to hearing a hard _thud_ on the wooden floor. He jolted up in his bed and looked around frantically before seeing Eleven's body on the floor. Panicking that he must've fell out of the hammock while asleep, he dashed out of bed and ran over to his body. 

"Are you alright!?"

He looked up and down his body as he helped him up to check for injuries and he suddenly froze.

They couldn't be...

Were those… legs? Like actual human legs?

Erik was so shocked by this discovery that Eleven had to snap him out of his stupor by pulling on his tunic. Erik came back to reality, quickly apologized, and helped him up, scooping him into his arms. He walked quickly back to his bed and laid him down in it, Eleven still grasping onto him. Erik knelt in front of him, placing his arms on either side of his hips around him. He looked down at the legs he had never seen before and then back up to his face. He looked nervous.

"Are you hurting anywhere?"

< Just a bruise on my side but I'm okay. >

Thank Goddess it wasn't something worse.

"What happened?" Erik got up from his spot and sat next to him on the bed.

< I was sleeping when I turned and felt something weird where my tail was. I woke up to see human legs instead of my tail. So I panicked and felt out of my hammock. >

Well, that was understandable.

"Are you hurting here?" Erik asked, referring to his legs. 

< No pain. It just feels weird. They are also weak so I cannot walk too well. >

"That's fine. At least they don't hurt."

Suddenly, a loud thunderclap snapped through making them both jump. Erik recovered quickly but Eleven bristled and started to panic. Erik instantly hugged Eleven and pulled him close, feeling him tremble in his arms. Another thunderclap, though not as strong this time, caused Eleven to grasp his tunic tighter and Erik felt his shoulder getting wet with tears. He really did not like thunder, with it sounding loud and threatening to him. Erik tried to soothe him by rubbing his back. He figured that Eleven more than likely had never experienced storms like this before. Eleven looked up to him with those teary eyes and Erik's heart just shattered right there. The poor thing was so scared. Erik continued to hold him close, planting a few gentle kisses on his head.

"Would it help if you stayed next to me tonight?"

Eleven nodded. 

They heard a knock on the door. Erik hesitantly left Eleven on the bed and went to answer the door, opening it and revealing Mia, in her nightgown and clutching a pillow in one arm.

"You, too?"

"S-Shut up…" Mia looked away curtly, but Erik knew that she didn't like the thunder either.

"Come on in, it's okay."

Mia came through the doorway and Erik shut it behind her. Mia was greeted by Eleven sitting on the bed and, like her brother, was drawn to the fact that Eleven magically got legs.

"When did this happen?"

"Few minutes ago."

< I don't know how it happened. >

"That's quite the change though. I take it that thud was the reason?"

< I panicked and fell out of the hammock. >

"Ouch. Been there, done that."

Mia seemed to be taking the fact of Eleven having legs rather well, much to Erik's surprise.

"Alright, to bed now." Erik told them both, sounding like a tired parent.

Mia crawled got on top of the bed on the other side of Eleven and Erik got between them, sandwiched in the middle, with Eleven under his right arm and Mia under his left. It took them a minute to settle as another thunderclap made them uneasy. Erik tried his best to calm them both down and it finally worked after some time with both of them resting on top of his chest. 

He didn't mind looking after people but it put his mind at ease knowing they were safe and warm. 

\-----

The discovery of Eleven getting legs never reached the rest of the crew as they turned back into his purple tail by the time morning dawned and the witnesses didn't want to stir up anything. Eleven still didn't have much of an explanation himself so Erik and Mia didn't try to pry him for answers. The ship operated as it did normally on any other day and Erik was a little surprised that they haven't been attacked yet since bringing Eleven on board. 

He felt a calm hand on his shoulder, making him turn to see Eleven next to him, about to ask something.

"What's up?"

< Is something on your mind? >

"It's nothing. I was just noticing that we haven't been attacked or anything lately, not that I mind."

< I see. >

Erik knocked the wood next to him a few times for good measure. Didn't want to jinx it after all.

< Why did you do that? >

"Oh this? It's basically an expression that means 'don't jinx it' and it's basically a good luck thing."

"LAND HO!"

The crew, including Erik and Eleven, snapped to attention as they realized he was right. Puerto Valor came into view with the iconic white stucco buildings. 

Land ho, indeed.


	2. Rolling with the Waves

Eleven watched Erik intently with his maps and calculations, ever being intrigued with the detailed landmasses drawn on the thin, yellowed paper.

"If weather permits, I believe we should be able to get to Crystal Island in two days."

< Crystal Island? >

"Crystal Island is an island off the coast from Lonalulu and it's famous for being an island being made completely out of precious crystals."

Eleven seemed satisfied with the answer.

Erik went back to his calculations and Eleven observed intently, sitting sideways and resting his head in his arms on top of the chair's backrest. He looked all over the map and admired the drawings of sea creatures chaotic and mysterious. He actually was able to identify some of them, with one of them sending shivers down his spine the moment he saw it.

The _Lleviathan._

He knew of the beast since he was a child and the mere mention of the name was known to spike fear into even the bravest of souls. This monster of a whale was responsible for the most deaths at sea and what made things scarier was that no one knew where it was. It could be anywhere, swimming under the waves…

"Hey, are you okay?"

The question shook Eleven back to reality to Erik giving him a concerned look.

< I was thinking about things. >

"Well, you're shaking and you look like you've seen a ghost."

So he was.

"Did something freak you out?"

< Lleviathan scared me. >

"That's understandable. I imagined you were probably more likely to know about it than we do."

Erik felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up to see Eleven give him a worried face.

< Just promise me you will be careful. >

"I can do my best. The future may change our course but I can at least try."

The answer seemed to calm him. He withdrew back to his chair and continued to look at the map. Erik knew he still had thoughts about the monster in his mind, his face spoke thousands. Once he got something in his brain, it was usually hard for him to get it out and forget about it.

He had to get his mind off of it.

Erik had an idea.

“Would you like to do some stargazing tonight?”

The question caught his attention as he looked up at him curiously. He took a moment to process the question, but Erik couldn’t deny his starry eyes and his growing excitement at the prospect of seeing something new.

_Goddess, he was so cute._

Wait, no, not like that.

Just companions, that’s all.

He hoped the blush in his cheeks wasn’t too noticeable.

< How are we going to do it? >

“There’s a little secret place that I have. Only Mia knows about it. You have to keep it between us though.”

< I can do that. > Eleven signed happily.

“Okay, let me get the stairs down first,” Erik told him as he got up from his table and went to the corner of the room. Eleven watched quietly as he took what looked like a thin rope into his hand and pulled down to reveal a small set of stairs leading upward. Eleven tried to keep his tail from flapping too much in excitement.

“Ready to go up?”

Eleven nodded quickly and Erik walked around the table to get to him, gently lifting him from his chair and cradling him in his arms, bridal-style. Erik felt his arms wrap around his neck for support and tried not to get flustered with his face close to his.

“Hang tight.” Erik calmly instructed him as he walked around to the stairs and took the first step, stepping sideways and holding Eleven close to him. The stairs weren’t steep but a single wrong step would result in more than a nasty sprain. Eleven ducked his head under his chin and Erik tried to keep it together as he took the last step before finally reaching the top. Eleven took his head from under his chin and looked up, his eyes widening to the scene before him.

It was a small place, covered by a large tarp and crates stacked about the place. Nothing special to note, really.

“It gets better, don’t worry. It’s usually covered in the case of rain or other weather.”

That made sense to Eleven, even if weather conditions above the waves were non-existent under them. Erik sat him down on one of the crates nearby and Eleven watched as he lifted the tarp and revealed a much more welcome, homely sight. There were old, yet colorful quilts and blankets draped about as well as older pillows tucked away in the fabrics. There was an unlit lantern on a crate that would have provided the only light source had it been lit. It looked so warm and cozy, no matter how odd it all looked.

“Well, this is it. It’s a lot more comfortable than it looks, I promise.” Erik spoke as he removed the covers of a thick blanket and revealed more soft blankets underneath. He looked back up to see Eleven glowing with curiosity and excitement, his eyes even doing the thing where they got all glittery.

< It's perfect. >

He could barely keep himself still as Erik walked back over to him, carrying him to his designated spot before setting him down on the blankets. Eleven felt the cotton and woolen fabrics against his body and found them comforting, wrapping himself up in the blankets around him. Erik laughed to himself as he took up the spot next to him, adjusting the covers on top of them so that they were warm.

"Comfy?"

Eleven nodded and looked up at the night sky, little white dots littering the nightly skyscape. It was something out of a painting with the lighter colors blending with the darker colors and being laced with thousands of stars with some in the form of constellations. Eleven sat silently, taken aback by the beauty of the sky above him.

Erik didn't want to ruin the moment of seeing him absolutely enthralled with the stars. So he waited patiently as Eleven looked all around to see every star within his field of vision.

< Are these stars? >

"Yeah! Some of them are brighter and bigger than others, which makes them unique."

< That's neat! >

“Yeah! You can even see some of the constellations with the sky being as clear as it is.”

Eleven tilted his head to the side with a confused expression.

< What are they? >

“Constellations?"

Eleven nodded his head.

"Oh, those are star patterns that create imaginary shapes and figures. They’re sometimes used in what are called star maps to show what your location is and the season based on where in the world the constellations are. Like that one right there, that one’s called “Maiden’s Rose” and that over there is called the “ Little Wolf”...” Erik rambled excitedly, sound more like an excited child rather than the captain he was used to seeing. Eleven didn’t mind the fact at all; if anything, he thought Erik was adorable when talking about astronomy. It was something he was passionate about, and Eleven was always curious about the world above the waves.

< What about that star? >

“The really bright one? That’s the Northern Star, and it gets used a lot when navigating because it always shows north, hence the name.”

< Fascinating! >

“Isn’t it? I love reading on stuff like this, it’s all so cool! There are so many things to learn and we haven’t even scratched the surface yet!”

Erik caught himself suddenly, believing that he had been talking a little too much.

“Sorry, I tend to ramble when talking about the stars. You can tell me to shut up if it gets too much...” Erik said bashfully, scratching the back of his neck.

< Don’t worry about it! I like listening. >

“You do?”

< Yes! It makes you happy and I like to see you happy. >

Erik was pleasantly surprised by the statement, but his heart was growing fonder for the merman next to him with his kind face and gentle smile.

Okay, maybe that little soft spot in Erik’s heart was growing a little more for him.

Almighty Yggdrasil, those old stories about sailors falling in love with merfolk and going rabid as a result were starting to carry some weight. Not that he would ever dream of going rabid (he would never let himself live that down if that ever came to being), but realizing that he was becoming one of those sailors from those stories was not something, until some time ago, he would have expected to become.

It felt nice to be loved if Eleven was willing to go that route.

Erik felt a light touch on his shoulder and looked to see Eleven looking back at him with a curious, yet concerned look on his face.

< Is something wrong? >

“N-No, no, my brain just decided to ramble, s’all.”

< What were you thinking about? >

“Oh, uh… well… “

Erik felt his face getting warm and hoped that Eleven didn’t look too closely.

< Why is your face red? >

Damn it.

“C-Can I ask you something?”

< What is it? >

Erik took a shaky breath to clear his thoughts for a moment.

“Do you like it here?”

< I do. It’s wonderful here. >

“Do you like it enough to stay?”

Eleven thought it over for several moments, actually deep in thought. Erik was visibly nervous as he waited for Eleven’s answer. The merman looked back at him, flapping his tail against the wooden floor.

< I want to stay. >

“I’m a little scared to ask this, but what about your old home?”

Eleven took a moment thinking and he became rather sad.

< I do not know where my old home was. I have been out of the sea for so long I have no memory of where it would be. It is also hidden so I do not know where to find it. >

“Not even on a map?”

Eleven shook his head and It was Erik’s turn to be sad. At least he didn’t have a home to speak of, really, so the parting wasn’t as horrible. But for this poor merman, who can’t even find his way back home, was once somewhere else. Would he really want to stay if he longed for home?

< You look sad. >

“Yeah…”

Erik felt two warm hands around his own and he looked up to meet Eleven face-to-face, noticing that he wanted to say something. He let go of Erik’s hands and made sure Erik was paying attention to his hands.

< I want to stay. > Eleven signed, putting emphasis on the last word to make it final.

His eyes widened in surprise, Erik was taken aback by the statement, no, demand, that Eleven told him. Eleven held onto his hands and held them tight while mouthing “please” to Erik.

Erik’s brain had no clue what to do at that point; the merman that he had been pining after all this time was now wanting to stay and from the looks of it, he wasn’t going to budge. Erik felt strangely comforted by this.

“Do you really want to stay?” Erik asked, trying to hide the bubbling excitement in his voice.

Eleven nodded and it felt like a heavy weight had glided off of his shoulders.

He really was going to stay.

Erik scrambled onto his knees and held onto Eleven’s hands like they were his lifeline.

“I promise I’ll make this right for you, I won’t let you down.”

Eleven gave him a kind smile and Erik’s response was to look away with his face getting red again. Eleven laughed to himself quietly before he yawned, which caught Erik’s attention.

“We probably do need to get back in bed soon, it’s getting late.”

Eleven nodded sleepily and Erik knew he wasn’t far off from dozing to sleep. So he prepared himself to pick him back up and Eleven almost fell into him without being prompted. Erik carefully hoisted him back into his arms and he tried to keep his cool as he felt Eleven snuggle into him.

He was never going to get used to that, was he?

Erik went for the stairs, mindful of the steepness and relying on the wall going down so that he wouldn’t fall. The wood creaked under his boots and Erik hoped that Eleven was drowsy enough to not be bothered by them. Reaching the floor, he slowly walked over to the swinging hammock, and using one of the small crates, he stood up and gently placed Eleven into it, his tail hanging over a little like it normally did. Eleven was awake just enough to get himself settled in as Erik helped him with the blankets.

“Don’t worry, I’ll get your shirt once I close up the secret spot for the evening, okay?”

Eleven sleepily nodded and watched as Erik went back up the stairs to close the spot. Right around the third or fourth step, Erik’s front foot slid back, causing him to bash his knee into the edge of the stair step. Erik was instantly taken aback by the sudden rush of pain and Eleven immediately shot up to see what was the matter. Erik gradually lifted himself off of the stairs and limped into the nearby chair, where he examined his new injury.

“D-Don’t worry, I’ll be alright… ah, I should get those stairs fixed…” Erik croaked, gritting his teeth as he tried to examine the damage caused. The wood sunk in pretty badly but at least his thick pants stopped any potential splinters. The gash bled and created an enormous blood spot that stained his pant leg. Eleven looks on in quiet horror, unable to move much or say anything.

But there was one thing he could do...

Erik didn’t have much time to dig into his injury as he then felt a new presence in his body: a warmer, calming energy that hovered over the gash. Soon he felt himself physically healing as his skin seemed to mend itself together. He looked up weakly and saw Eleven with his hands glowing and outstretched in his direction.

Was he trying to heal him?

“H-Hey, you don’t… Have to waste your magic on me…”

Eleven wasn’t listening to him, and soon Erik felt his leg being normal again, like that gash he acquired never happened. He was also astounded by how quickly his injured knee healed so quickly. Not even Doc, the crew’s doctor, was that efficient.

< Are you okay? >

“You can use magic to heal?”

< Yes, but my healing is not strong. >

“It doesn’t matter, that can be helpful in the future. Whatever you need to keep it up, we can try to supply it.”

Erik watched Eleven perk up at the offer. Maybe that would be a good idea.

< Pants? >

“Oh, don’t worry about these, I can get this washed.”

< Okay. >

Erik got up, his renewed leg throwing him off a little, and walked up the stairs again, a lot more careful this time.

“I still have to close up the spot, I’ll be right back down.”

Eleven watched as he went all the way up and out of his sight. He then laid back down into his hammock bed and waited, feeling the hammock swinging back and forth gently like normal. He summoned his magic again, this time on a much smaller scale and not having much of a purpose. The magical aura slipped through his fingers and around his hands like some thin veils floating in a breeze.

He had been gifted with this magic since he was born and he had been training with it to let it become stronger. The symbol on his hand was also a gift from birth, allowing him strange and extraordinary powers that even he was mystified with. He was the only person alive with that mark but he never could figure it out.

He hoped to have the answers for it soon…

Footsteps on the wooden staircase caught his attention. He watched expectantly as Erik walked back down the steps, hanging onto the wall to keep him sturdy.

< All is well? >

“All is well. Now let’s see about that shirt.”

He watched Erik go out the door and into the hall, only to come back with a shirt drenched in ocean water. He walked over and handed Eleven the shirt, to which the latter immediately wasted no time putting it on. Now there was a happy mermaid, his tail twitching a bit as he was as comfortable as one could be. Erik couldn’t help but smile fondly at him.

< Erik? >

“Hm?”

< Can we sleep together in your bed sometime? >

The innocent question almost knocked Erik back like a flying ball to the face. Normally when that question gets asked, it's usually with some sexual undertones. He doubted that was Eleven's intention so he was able to let it slide a little. Not to mention, that night that he snuggled up to him during that thunderstorm was still fresh in his mind.

It did feel kinda nice to have a warm body next to his…

< Erik? >

"Ah sorry! My brain decided to wonder… If you'd like to, I see no reason why we can't."

Eleven's face lit up and it was the cutest thing Erik had ever seen. Even his tail was flapping happily.

Erik could only smile at him, his words dying in his throat but that didn't matter. Seeing Eleven happy and getting the message was all he needed to see.

He helped Eleven get under the covers until the blankets were up to his chin. He smoothed it all out and made sure that the ends were secure, seeing that they were. He was about to walk back to his own bed but not before he took one last glance at him in his hammock. Eleven appeared to be fighting sleep as he was in the middle of drifting off.

Erik watched him a few moments fondly as he finally went to sleep. The thing he could hear was Eleven's soft breathing as the hammock continued to rock gently.

Erik sat down on his bed and started to strip down for the night. Taking his pants off, he examined the healed wound he had acquired earlier and found there to be no evidence at all. Erik was amazed at how quickly the injury had healed and it fascinated him that anyone could have that kind of healing ability. He let the thought stew over as he got ready for bed.

**A Few Days Later**

The ship was heading into some rough waters as the ocean waves slapped against the wood of the ship. The crew was latching onto anything sturdy enough to keep them on deck. It wasn’t stormy, thank the Goddess above, but it was still overcast, the gray skies making the ocean appear dark and depressing. Not to mention, the temperature had dropped significantly that it was almost a surprise everything hadn’t frozen up.

Despite the less-than-ideal conditions, everyone on board was still set on their target as Crystal Island loomed in the distance. It’s good to know that the rumors were correct but they still had to keep their guard up. Just about anything could happen here in the blink of an eye and it would all be ruined.

Eleven shivered in the captain’s quarters as he watched everything from the front window. He felt horrible for the crew that was outside trying to keep everything together in the cold. At least Erik was with him, even though it was only temporary.

“How are you faring?” Erik asked to confirm Eleven was okay.

< I’m okay. >

“No, you’re shivering. Here, put this on.” Erik told him as he took his black jacket off and placed it gently on Eleven. Eleven graciously took the jacket and huddled himself in it, welcoming the warmth.

< What about you? >

“I’ll be alright. I was born in Sniflheim where we had temperatures that dropped below zero on the regular. This is nothing, and as a crew, we’ve dealt with worse before. We’ll be okay.”

The answer comforted Eleven, especially when he noticed Erik went back to his work for a moment to brace himself before going onto the deck. The last thing he did before leaving was approach Eleven in his hammock, holding his hands in his and kissed them gently.

“I’ll be back before you know it, we’re almost to the shore and I have to check in with my crew.”

Eleven nodded, and to Erik’s pleasant surprise, and reached over to press a gentle kiss onto Erik’s forehead.

< Good luck. > Eleven signed with a hopeful smile.

Erik thought his heart stopped beating for a solid minute before the door burst open to reveal Mia, who had looked like she just ran a race.

“We’re here, so let’s go.”

Erik took a moment to collect himself before turning to face Mia with the first order of the expedition.

“Alright. Send out Scout so that we can scope if it’s safe enough to get through.”

“Okay!” Mia rushed back out to send the command. Erik gave one last look at Eleven and smiled before their hands broke apart and slipped away. They wanted to linger just a moment longer but they couldn’t as Erik had to be the captain of his crew on this expedition. Erik slipped away and out the door, leaving Eleven by himself in Erik’s black coat, swinging in his hammock. He watched as Erik spoke with the crew, who had all gathered together in a group.

* * *

“Scout is already on his way over to see how things are and what we need to be prepared for. Be on your guard and leave no survivors if we come across anything or anyone hostile. Check your weapons and provisions so that we can be ready by the time he comes back. You know the drill.”

The crew individually checked everything they had like they had done before and Erik took a good look at his dual knives as well as his sword. Old Smity had just gotten them sharpened nice and easy, so that wasn’t an issue.

It wasn’t long before Scout came back with the news that the island looked uninhabited and there is a cave that goes further inland. If the rumors were certainly true, every single one of them could be legendary for finding out a great mystery.

In the wave of enthusiasm of the crew, Erik felt his heart being a little heavy. It was about Eleven of course, but there was no way he could take the merman with them. He hoped Eleven would understand.

With this in mind, he swore to himself that he would be back as soon as possible.

The crew one by one made their way off of the ship into the two small boats that acted as transportation from the ship to shore of any island they came. Erik had gotten in the first boat to lead and Mia had gotten into the other one to watch from behind. A freezing wind blew about the boats but they kept steady as the two boats rowed to shore. The distance was only some miles but it felt like forever with the bumpy sea waves and harsh winds.

The boats touched down on the shore, cold sand surrounded by gray, sharp rocks. They were massive enough to tear a nice hole out of a ship and drown it in a matter of minutes. Erik minded them as his boots dug into the sand, making a crunching sound as he walked.

“Everyone ready?” The crew affirmed with him.

“The cave was down here, sir. I’ll lead the way. The river is also a guide.” Scout said, and the group began to trail after him.

The island was like you put a tropical island next to one of the coldest cities in Erdrea. The snow-covered trees provided some relief from the incessant wind that blew all over the place. The occasional monsters would pop up but they were nothing to worry about, just some slimes and the like. The sand from the beach eventually shifted to loose gravel, the little pebbles getting kicked under their feet, but the river next to them still flowed incessantly, flowing into the nearby cave. Scout pointed ahead and everyone noted the cave as it was protruding out of a solid wall of rock. The cave itself looked inconspicuous but against everything else, it definitely looked off.

Speaking of off, Erik noted something in the air and it discomforted him. Something… wrong. He kept his thoughts to himself until he could have proof of his fears, hoping them to be unfounded.

“You alright, cap'n?”

The question robbed his attention from his thoughts as he turned to greet Bull, a roughneck who was one of the older members of the party and one of Erik’s earliest crew members.

“I’m alright.”

“You sure about that? You look like something’s bothering you.” If there was one thing that Bull was good at besides heavy-lifting and cannon firing, it was that he could read someone a mile away. Erik always wondered how he was able to see that well with that yellow, horned mask.

“Well, something is… Something about this island doesn’t sit well with me. Like there’s a danger that we’re overlooking here.”

“You too, then? I did notice something feeling amiss and it reminds me of a little tale I heard many years ago…”

As much as it assured Erik that he wasn’t paranoid as hell, the mention of a tale caught his attention. There was more to this place than just the mythical cave?

“A tale?”

“Yes, but it doesn’t get brought up as much as it should. Along with the Crystal Cave itself, most people seem to forget that there is a beast that lurks in this place. Most accounts seem to agree that the beast in question is a massive whale but physical descriptions vary from source to source. It’s a nasty bastard of a creature, that’s for sure.”

...Wait a minute, a whale?

Erik racked his brain to find where he had heard something familiar before…

_Eleven._

_**He was talking about the Lleviathan, that horrible whale monster that terrified land and sea alike.** _

“If my suspicions were correct, the beast’s name was-”

“-Lleviathan. That was the monster that freaked out Eleven a few nights ago when I was doing my map studies. If that’s the case we need to get what we can and leave in case this thing shows up.”

“My thoughts exactly.”

The crew walked further into the cave, where the edge of the protrusion was solid rock, but going further in, the crew were starting to notice little glimmers on the walls. Even the river was glowing a little. The cavern even began to expand in size as well to the point that the tallest point was three times the height of the tallest crew member, who stood at six-foot-five. But the greatest discovery of all was the center of the cavern, where the large room was covered in all of the clear crystals that littered the walls, the crystals themselves rather sharp on the pointed ends but large enough to be worth more than the finest diamonds. They were lit up almost by magical means and they gave off an ethereal aura that flooded the room. Erik’s attention was more drawn on what appeared to be a frozen lake of sorts, like a solid layer of ice over a hole. The lake looked extremely dark and it made Erik even more uneasy.

Perhaps some of those stories were true.

“Let’s take what we can carry and get back to ship! Turns out the old rumors had some weight to them after all!” Erik exclaimed as the crew celebrated their findings. The crew wasted no time getting to work and chipping off any bits of the crystals that they can get their hands on. Although the cave looked sturdy, Erik still wanted them to exercise caution, especially if the part about the Lleviathan was also true.

“Come onnn, Erik, what’s with you? You look stiff.” Mia teased, noting her brother's posture. Normally he'd be all over the place but now he looked nervous.

“I’m just quietly hoping that there’s nothing else in here with us. Bull mentioned earlier that there could potentially be a monster lurking in that frozen pond." Erik explained. Speaking of the water, Erik went to the river that fed into the frozen lake and placed his hand in the running water.

His confusion grew when he noticed the water felt unusually warm in such a cold environment. Another aspect Erik noted was that the water began to progressively get warmer the closer it got to what was supposed to be a frozen lake.

Then he felt the tiniest of vibrations.

He snapped his head around back the frozen lake, looking to see if anything changed.

There was no change, _except for the growing crack dead center._

The crackling sounds of the ice breaking up was their final warning.

“BRACE YOURSELVES!!” Erik yelled to the crew as the ice burst open suddenly and chunks flew in all directions. The water underneath dashed about as a creature began to make itself known from the dark depth below. Its golden-yellow eyes shone out visibly as the rest of its body was slowly revealed to the crew that witnessed it. The scaly blue and red scales of its skin displayed years, maybe even centuries of fights judging by the countless scratches and scars on the body. The red underbelly highlighted the starkly white teeth that would put any shark to shame. The scariest part of all were the bone fins protruding out of its spine and ran down its back and belly.

_This was the Lleviathan._

The crew dropped everything to stare both in awe and terror of the beast. Erik braced himself while slowly inching for his knives.

“WHO DARES DISTURB MY HOME THE CRYSTAL ISLAND?” The Lleviathan bellowed, his voice shaking the very foundations of the cave.

No one knew what to do. Sure they had their weapons ready to go and get into battle if needed, but this was something else. Even with everyone present and giving it their best, this beast doesn’t look like it can be tamed easily.

In the middle of it all, Erik thought about Eleven back on the ship, waiting for him and everyone to come back to the ship. He couldn’t leave him alone, especially when there was no one behind. He can’t leave him alone. Whether or not they get the crystals doesn’t matter, but what did is that they can make it out alive.

The Lleviathan seemed to have other ideas, however.

“SO YOU THINK YOU CAN MAKE IT OUT ALIVE? LET’S FIX THAT, SHALL WE?”

The intimidating creature let out a deep roar that rumbled the cave and in no time flat, the entrance was sealed off thanks to the fallen crystals. The crew was stuck in their place with no way out.

Erik hoped that Yggdrasil would hear the silent prayer in his heart that he would be able to see Eleven’s face one more time, even if it was futile in their current circumstances...

* * *

Eleven could sense that something was gravely wrong. He could feel it in his heart, in his blood and he knew that he had to do something. He knew that feeling anywhere.

He knew that the Lleviathan had found them.

He had to think of something fast. That beast would rip through them faster than any other monster that ever existed before or since. But what could he do? It wasn’t like he could miraculously get up and walk out the door, jump into the ocean, and trail after them.

Think, think, _think!_

Eleven dug through his brain for ideas but nothing came into mind. The more desperate he got, the more emotional he became until tears were rolling down his cheeks as all of his ideas came to naught. He needed to do something, damn it. His emotions got the better of him and he spent a moment with his head in his hands as tears slipped through his fingers. He thought about Erik, the kind pirate who helped him live and thrive, and took care of him all this time. He hoped that his prayer was heard to Yggdrasil, wishing that something could be done to save Erik, Mia, and everyone. He sorrowfully looked around the room of Erik’s captain quarters and noticed some fish on a wall. They were in a painting but it drew Eleven in as an idea started turning the gears into his brain. Maybe if he could find a way to turn into a fish…

Of course!

He had remembered one of his old tricks of turning into a small, round fish. He had previously done it when he felt like it or wanted to prank someone. Surely that had to work, but how could he get off the ship? Eleven needed to think this through.

He didn’t have time to think long as the mark on his hand and stomach began to glow a golden hue, blinding Eleven, and fully illuminating the room. The only thing Eleven could feel now was that he was transforming into something. The light soon faded and in place of a merman was a small and round purple fish with a small satchel fastened around its body. Eleven-the-fish recognized this form immediately and quickly got used to his new-yet-familiar body.

He still had to get off the ship, though, but how?

His answer was the door of Erik’s quarters slamming open by the wintry wind. Eleven knew that this had to be a means of escape. So he braced himself before flopping about and landing off of the hammock, landing onto the floor with a hard thud.

That was going to leave a nasty bruise for sure.

Eleven-the-fish flailed about, out of the door and down the steps. He had to hurry because even though he could breathe out of water, he could only do it for a solid minute. So he quickly jumped over to the nearest opening to the ship railing and went over the side, plunging into the icy waters below. Eleven-the-fish thanked the Goddess above that he somehow didn’t experience a freezing shock upon diving in, but he had no time to waste. He zoomed through the water and headed straight for the island, his speed being most useful right now.

Hang on, I’m coming for you! He thought, hoping that he would be there in time.

* * *

The fight was not going so well. Several of Erik’s crew had already been heavily injured and Erik himself wasn’t doing too hot; the Lleviathan was simply too sturdy to be taken down that easily.

“IS THAT REALLY THE BEST YOU CAN DO??” The Lleviathan hollered, looking on in glee at the almost-fallen pirate crew. Erik had just enough strength in him to still hold his knives and keep his legs up from failing him. He was trembling as well, so close to giving up.

He couldn’t give up, but everything was failing him. He didn’t have enough energy left in him to try anything elaborate. The whale locked eyes on not him but Mia, so when he tried to body slam the floor, Erik snatched up Mia and rushed just in time to avoid getting crushed. The resulting aftershocks propelled them back, with Erik landing on his back hard. He was still holding onto Mia like his life depended on it.

"HOW WILLING YOU ARE TO BECOME MY FIRST BITE!!"

Erik took out his knife in self-defense while he held Mia tightly in his other arm, protecting her. The Lleviathan reared up and jumped out of the lake, its toothy mouth open wide and ready to snack on his first meal.

A lightning bolt suddenly struck from above and struck the whale right in the back before electrocuting the entire whale in one piece. Everyone in attendance looked on in utter shock at what had just occurred.

"Erik? What just happened?"

Erik didn't have an answer to give to his sister as he was currently at a loss of words himself. The Lleviathan sprung back, this time more pissed than before.

"WHO WAS THAT? WHO DARES TO LAND A BLOW ON ME AND THINKS THEY CAN GET AWAY ALIVE!?" The Lleviathan barked, voice echoing in the room. Another random lightning bolt struck him again, further weakening the creature.

Erik sensed something nearby in the river that fed into the frozen lake. There were small ripples that gave away whoever was under the water. He saw an arm reach out and cling to the edge hanging on for dear life. The arm pushed down and launched the upper half of a man out of the water.

"Eleven!?"

The merman looked exhausted as his arms trembled trying to hold himself up. His cold breath could easily be seen as he tried to catch a breather but Erik was more horrified by the formation of ice on his body, a clear sheen on his skin. The Lleviathan started to roll back and forth to get itself upright. Eleven panicked as he frantically tried to send Erik the word "stomach" in sign-language.

"Erik, he's saying to go for the stomach! Get him while he's trying to get back up!" Mia cried.

Erik snapped to his senses and grabbed his knives before leaping up to a running start and double-slashed the stomach of Lleviathan, which was the fatal blow for the bastardly boss. The whale roared in excruciating pain as its body faded to a black mist that eventually faded into nothingness.

Finally, the nightmare was over, but Erik couldn't relax.

Not when Eleven looked almost frozen and struggling to survive. Erik ran to the riverside and landed on his knees to pull the merman out of the freezing water. Eleven was barely alive, the chill present on his skin and scales. Erik held him close, hoping the body warmth would at least help him live a little longer.

He couldn't die, not yet.

"I'm right here, I'm right here…" Erik tried to comfort the freezing merman while trying to control his shaky voice. Fuck, his emotions were starting to show. He hugged Eleven tighter, his eyes a little watery.

Please, for the love of the Goddess, _please don’t die._

He was so deep in his grief that he didn't notice that Mia came around and wrapped her arms around the two of them.

Then some more of the crew did the same.

Then some more.

Then some more.

Soon, Erik looked up and saw that they were surrounded by the entire crew in a giant pile of hugs. He was at first surprised but became touched by the gesture.

"Figured this would 'elp."

"Thank you."

It certainly did help as the area became hot as a furnace. Erik was starting to realize what everyone was doing and he internally scolded himself for not thinking of it sooner. By gathering everyone together, the slow incline of shared body heat would be better in the long run as it reduced the risk of a shock and killing him. He may be a merman but he still had limits.

Erik felt a light tug on his shirt and when he looked down, he was greeted by Eleven's face as he was slowly gaining consciousness. He looked like he was waking up from a long sleep, his half-lidded eyes looking back at him.

To say Erik was about to cry was an understatement.

He couldn't stop the tears from streaming down his face as he held onto Eleven like a lifeline, moving strands of his hair from his face. Eleven looked a little more awake as he weakly placed a hand on his cheek. The merman he was holding was starting to get some life back into him. Erik was two seconds from bawling his eyes out but his heart felt joyous for the first time in a while.

"You're back… _You're BACK!!!_ " Erik exclaimed in excitement with the rest of the crew celebrating around them. Erik didn't want to let Eleven go for a moment even if he was feeling better.

"Come on, let's take what we can get and get out of here if we can."

"I thank we certainly cain." One of the members pointed out. The crew looked at the entrance that they came from that was also blocked only to find it open again with the crystals scattered about the place. Perhaps during the fight, the impact must've blown the crystals back.

“Well, that’s convenient.”

‘Let’s just grab what we can get and get out of here.”

The crew agreed and immediately went to work, leaving Erik to cradle the rather sleepy merman in his arms.

They found out later that merfolk can withstand colder temperatures in short bursts but not for a prolonged length of time, however, no one was aware that he could also transform into a fish if he needed to.

**Later That Evening**

Who would’ve thought that carrying around a happy merman in one’s arms would make the heart feel lighter and happier? Surely Erik found this out the more he was cradling Eleven in his grasp but he always enjoyed the feeling. Eleven certainly seemed to like it just as much, snuggling into him. Thankfully he was back to full health again after getting warm and helping Doc heal the wounded.

Maybe he ought to get with one of the crew members about increasing body strength so that he could carry Eleven around all the time. He hadn’t given it much thought before but it was a good case of motivation. He had also gotten his black jacket back on, albeit hanging rather loosely on his body as his sashes and belts were put away for the night. Eleven did seem to like the jacket a lot...

He looked down to say something to him to notice Eleven yawning and realized that it was getting late, judging from the looks of the night through the windows. He went to go put Eleven back in his hammock until he noticed Eleven signing something to him.

“What’s that?”

< Would it be alright if we shared your bed tonight? Just this once? >

Erik's brain did the thing again where it short-circuited temporarily before he tried to utter a response that wasn’t stuttering gibberish. Eleven was confused by Erik’s reaction, but the pirate captain assured him that it would be alright and that it was fine, that he was fine. Erik tried not to think too much about it as he laid Eleven down on his bed before sitting down on the edge and began undressing for the evening.

Eleven watched intently as Erik methodically dressed down to his undershirt and boxers. Human clothes have fascinated him for the longest time as he always thought about how they worked, how they were made, and whatnot. Sure, he wore one of Erik’s tunics just to keep him comfy and breathing, but he always ended up on more than one occasion looking over the smallest details, down to the buttons and stitching. Maybe he would learn a little more once he became part of the crew longer...

“You good there?”

Eleven was pulled from his thoughts and just realized that he had been staring at Erik the entire time, not realizing that he was. Eleven’s face grew hot and hastily signed an apology, hoping that the awkwardness would pass. He heard Erik laugh quietly to himself as he got up to put his jacket and other clothing away.

“Hey, it’s okay. It happens. Try not to think too much about it, okay?”

< Are you sure? >

“Positive. It happens to all of us, even me. Hey, I’ll be right back, so sit tight.”

Erik got up from his bed, leaving Eleven alone and went out the door to come back with the wet shirt like usual. It had become a regular habit by this point, but Erik didn’t mind at all. After helping Eleven put it on, he helped Eleven get under the covers, having some difficulty with his tail in the way. Between the shirt and the sheets all around him, Eleven felt comfortable and wasted no time in almost falling asleep.

Erik got himself settled and was about to go to sleep, but not before he felt Eleven wrapping his arms around him and burying his head into his chest. This startled Erik a little at first but he became used to it once he settled down, ignoring the now-wet side of his undershirt where Eleven was laying up against. He hesitantly held Eleven close, his dead arm around his waist and his other hand in Eleven’s hair, stroking it. Erik gave him a final kiss in his hair and soon drifted off to sleep next to a warm, half-scaly body.

Maybe sharing a bed wasn’t too bad after all.


	3. The World Below

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a raid, the crew finds an unusually large pearl that's providing more questions than answers while Erik teeters on the decision to share his feelings with Eleven as he slowly finds himself losing more and more of his sensibility.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the long wait, irl stuff took over for a bit
> 
> Enjoy the chapter!

After the events of Crystal Island, things calmed down back to normal. Eleven was back to his happy self, meeting with the rest of the crew on the ship and hearing them talk. Erik was a little happier for him and the rest of the crew, having everyone make it out okay. It was a new day to move forward and onto the next adventure. 

They recently went on a raid and managed to get some treasure in the process. Totaling up the gold and jewels, it was quite the substantial amount and some of the jewels could be sold for a pretty penny. 

Maybe find some nice clothes for Eleven.

Speaking of the merman…

He looked over and found the merman chilling in his water tank with Mia and he was looking over what appeared to be a yellow topaz. He was admiring the cuts on the gem it seems so Erik decided to approach the two of them and hang out for a bit. 

"Got bored of gloating?"

"When have I ever gloated about finding treasure?"

"I'm kidding, dumbass."

Mia did like to show off that defiant smirk of hers. Eleven tried to hide his laughter at the shenanigans ensuing between the blue-haired siblings. He knew in the end that they really meant well but that having siblings was apparently like that. 

"So has your money-grubbing hands come across anything interesting?"

"Possibly, check out this bad boy." Mia responded, holding up a peculiar pearl for him to see. It was a pink pearl, so it wasn't the color that interested them but rather the size of it. It was big enough that Mia could hold it in her two hands. This both confused and intrigued Erik, who gently took the large pearl and began to study it for a moment.

"This came in with the rest of the treasure we got?"

"Yeah, Eleven and I wanted to take a second look at it. He's never seen anything like it either."

Well, Eleven was at a loss for explanation, then it really did need a closer study. 

"If it's alright with you, I'll take it with me to see if we can discover something about this pearl. I have a hunch that it's hiding something."

"Fine, but I wanna be the first to know if you see anything."

"Deal."

Mia usually wanted to keep stuff like that to herself so it was a little bit of a surprise when she compiled. Nevertheless, Erik told them that he was going to put it away and went to his captain's quarters to do so. 

He couldn't help but think about it when he returned; how in Erdrea was a pearl produced that big? Erik didn't doubt the existence of a mysterious clam that could make such a pearl, but this was alongside other normal gems and gold. Whoever found it must've tried to pass it off as a weird jewel but who was that gonna fool?

Erik put the matter of the large pearl on the back burner of his mind as he went back outside to address the crew. 

"Is everything accounted for?"

"Yup it is, boss. We'll take it down in a second."

"Alright."

A certain necklace caught Erik's eye and he reached out to examine its qualities. It was the first he's seen with iridescent gems as the focal point but they were attractive regardless. He looked back at Eleven, who was still in Mia's company and thought about how it would fit him. Maybe he wouldn't object to wearing something like this? Erik quietly pocketed the necklace.

"Alright, ye sea dogs! Back to work!" Erik jokingly proclaimed in a faux "pirate captain" accent. The crew got a chuckle out of that and soon business was back to normal. 

Erik went back to his quarters to further study that massive pearl. Upon grabbing the pearl, he seated himself at his map table and began to study the pearl.

It looked and felt like a normal pearl, but the size and the faint glow intrigued him, especially when the faint glow became a little more prominent. He touched it gently and it glowed a little more but when he removed his hand, the glow faded. Erik did this a few more times just to be sure and it was the same result every time. Erik wrote that discovery in his notes. 

Despite the discoveries, the pearl gave him more questions than answers. It was beginning to mess with Erik’s head and he didn't like that feeling.

**Later**

“Would it be okay if I help you put this necklace on”, Erik asked, holding up the jewelry in question so that Eleven could see it. Eleven instantly became attracted to the necklace, with its iridescent jewels gleaming in the lamplight against the silver metal casing. He got situated on the bed, giving Erik easy access to put the necklace on. Going over his head, Eleven felt the cool metal brush against his skin as Erik went to work by clipping it from behind. He was able to latch it, letting the necklace hang. 

He didn't have to say a word, but his excited expression and smile always made Erik soft. 

"What do you think?"

< Beautiful! >

"I'm glad, it suits you well." Erik noted before looking up at the window across the room. The night sky was illuminated by the bright, white glow of the full moon. 

Wait, did that mean…?

"Hey, it's a full moon. Do you think what happened last time might happen again?"

< It will. I do not know when. >

"Do you at least have your magic figured out when it does?"

< I think so. >

"Well, just in case you don't, I got spare clothes ready." The moment Erik said this aloud, Eleven felt something in his stomach. The merman immediately focused all of his energy together and Erik got up from the bed to provide a safe distance in case anything happened. After a moment, Eleven's entire body produced a short blinding glow that enveloped his entire body for a few minutes before fading. 

Erik had looked away to not be blinded, but when the light faded, he looked back to see Eleven on the bed, now decked out in some of the prettiest clothes he had ever seen. His see-through flowy shirt revealed his skin underneath and the long butterfly sleeves hung off of his arms. From the waist down, was a sarong wrap skirt of loose, bi-colored fabrics of purple and magenta, and completed by some beads around his hips. His silver anklets dangled over his feet and matched the necklace Erik gave him earlier.

Speaking of him, the pirate captain found himself absolutely _floored_ at the transformation. The words were lost in his throat and he couldn't go but stare at the _marvel_ in front of him. 

This was it. He fully understood the mythos around the merfolk completely now. 

He was so beautiful Erik was actually almost tempted to cry. 

< Erik? >

"Ah, sorry! Got caught up in how… nice you looked…" Erik confessed, a red tint creeping on his cheeks. He scratched the back of his head bashfully out of habit.

Wait, his legs.

He had been so enamored with the new look Eleven was sporting that he forgot to check about his legs.

"Are your legs feeling okay?"

< Yes. They are weak. >

"That's okay, just as long as you're not in pain is the important thing." Erik got ahold of his body and sat down next to Eleven. It wasn't long before he found himself staring again. 

Goddess, he really was about to go mad. It felt like it was getting harder to restrain himself and that it wouldn't be long before he started to exhibit insanity. He had been silently praying that he would have some sense left at the end of his life. 

He felt a soft hand on his shoulder and turned to be greeted by a confused look. It probably would be a good idea to explain.

"Sorry, I just… I just can't stop worrying about all of those stories about merfolk and sailors going mad as a result of it. I'm scared that I'm gonna go mad too and that one day I’m gonna be so far gone that I’ll hurt someone… you, or Mia, or anyone else…”

Eleven had seen Erik be scared before but this felt different now. Of course, he heard the stories about sailors falling in love with merfolk since he was little as they were often told with a warning to never officially interact with mortal mankind, since their love would only end in sorrow.

But now, he was starting to witness the actual struggle of what people like Erik had to go through by holding off the inevitable for as long as they could. 

To say it worried him was an understatement. 

“Can I say something?” Erik broke the silence.

Eleven nodded and gave him room to speak. Erik slid off of the bed and got down on his knees in front of Eleven, ever so gently holding his hands in his own and kissing them softly before looking back up at him. His eyes were misty and his hands were shaky but he didn’t care right now. 

“I promise, from the bottom of my heart, that I will never intentionally harm or hurt you. If I did, I could never forgive myself. I want to keep you safe, and happy for as long as I possibly can. I would do anything in the world for you because I…”

The phrase, that one little phrase got caught in his throat. He truly believed it from the bottom of his heart, but was it too soon to say it? 

Would Eleven feel the same way about him, even now?

Would he still continue to love him to the very end?

So many questions with this one little phrase but Erik still held onto it.

That little phrase was too strong so he’ll let it wait.

Erik took a deep breath.

“I… _I want to be with you always._ ”

Eleven wasn’t sure how to respond at all to the great pirate captain, now on his knees about to cry, giving a declaration like that. There wasn’t a single lying bone in his body thanks to previous experiences being proof of that, but he also sounded so final about it that Eleven couldn’t help but admire his courage to speak in such a manner. 

He sounded so sure, even while shaking in his boots, and Eleven felt heartened.

Without thinking, he rushed to hug Erik tightly, knocking Erik off guard and onto the floor, landing on top of him. Erik wasn’t sure where that rush came from, but if the tight hug was anything to go off of, it told him that he had been thinking about it, too.

Erik hesitantly hugged him back, but when he did, he didn’t want to let go. It felt as though his fears had been alleviated, at least for a little while. 

He still wasn’t brave enough to utter that little phrase, but that could wait another day.

Right now, he had a beautiful, loving merman in his grasp that believed in him.

For the first time in a while, Erik felt alright.

< Help? >

“Oh, right…”

Goddess, he had to start remembering that he had no strength in his legs. At the very least, Eleven had the patience of a saint and Erik would be forever grateful for that. With some struggle, he was able to get the merman back in his arms, cradling him gently. He earned a happy hum and some snuggling for his trouble. He sat him gently back on the edge of the bed like before. Eleven looked past him and noticed the pearl in the chair across the room. He pointed at it, with Erik catching on to what he was curious about.

“The pearl?”

Eleven nodded.

Alright, gimme just a second. I haven’t had much luck with this thing. Besides noting that it responds to human touch, it doesn’t do a whole lot.” Erik explained as he picked up the pearl and walked back to Eleven’s spot to hand the pearl to him. Immediately upon making contact with Eleven’s hands, the pearl glowed brighter than it had previously and went from a dull pink to a shimmery pink in a matter of minutes. The sudden action surprised the two of them even further when the symbols on Eleven’s hand and stomach began to glow, too. 

So it obviously had something to do with Eleven’s magical abilities but how?

Eleven placed the pearl on the bed and left it alone, letting the pearl fade back into its dull hue again. The two of them didn’t mention a word, still reeling a little from the new discovery. Erik took the pearl back into his own hands, where the pearl glowed dimly like before. 

That part was mind-boggling to Erik; how was the pearl still glowing when he held the pearl? He didn’t have any magical abilities like Eleven so what was the point?

Maybe he just happened to be in close proximity to him and that’s why it went off?

This rabbit hole of a mystery just seemed to get deeper and deeper, didn’t it?

< Erik, it is dark outside. Come to bed. >

Perhaps it was getting late, Erik figured after looking out the window and noting the night sky. The magic was soon to wear off, albeit too quickly. He wanted to see Eleven more in the new transformation but alas, he was falling victim to the siren call of sleep. 

‘Alright, let’s get you back into bed.” Erik told Eleven as he gently scooped him up and carried him back to his hammock, stepping onto the crate and lowering him in carefully. He could still feel Eleven’s fond eyes on him, those unnaturally pretty eyes of his…

Focus, Erik, before you do something stupid and break yourself or something else. 

Normally by this point, Erik would do the usual task of getting his wet nightshirt but it was discovered that Eleven was fine for the night if the transformation happened as he would feel more human than merman, if only for a short time. 

Eleven got comfortable under the covers and snuggled deeper in the warm sheets, almost immediately asleep. Erik watched fondly as Eleven went to sleep and left with a lingering soft look. 

There was a quiet knock at the door.

Erik went to go check and opened the door to see Mia standing there with her arms crossed in her usual stance. 

“So did ya find anything interesting about the pearl?” Mia inquired. Of course, she was going to ask eventually but thankfully, Erik did have news to spill.

“Well, it’s not much but it seems to react to whoever touches it. It also blinded Eleven and I when he held. I think it may have something to do with the symbols on his body because they reacted to the pearl, too.”

“I don’t know why but that sounds about right. I mean, he’s obviously not a normal merman with markings like those.”

Mia was onto something and it was starting to turn gears in Erik’s head. It didn’t get very far because despite that information, little else was actually known about the pearl.

“Well, at least we know what it can do.”

“Fair point, but this thing is providing more questions than answers and you know me, I don’t like not knowing something with very little information.”

“I feel that, too. It seems like there’s nothing else to find out for the time being. Of course, I’d keep an eye on it, but don’t lose your mind over it.”

“Don’t worry, I won’t. You need to get back to bed.”

“Yeah, yeah. One last thing, though, and I want you to be honest with me.”

“What is it?”

“Are you catching feelings for Eleven?”

A million responses rushed through Erik’s head as to how to answer that question ranging from a flat no to an absolute yes. How much would she judge him is the real question of the hour.

“Lemme ask you this, how much would you judge me if I told you that I like him hypothetically?”

“Hypothetically?” Mia questioned, raising an eyebrow.

“Yeah, hypothetically.”

“You really think I haven’t noticed you being all starry-eyed every time he looks in your general direction or how you treat him softly because you’re absolutely terrified of dropping or hurting him unintentionally how you seem in a happier mood every time you think about him-”

“Okay, okay!! Maybe I do have some feelings for him…”

He had to give credit where credit was due, Mia was extremely observant to the point that it was a little scary at times.

“Look, you don’t have to hide your feelings like that around me. I may rat on ya from time to time, but what are little siblings for? Real talk though, I just want to see you happy. You’ve done a lot for this crew, for me and definitely for him. So I’m not saying all the time, but I can lend a listening ear if you wanna ramble about Elli.”

 _Elli._ That actually sounded cute. Would Eleven object to be called Elli in a private setting?

Erik would test it out later, but right now, he was about three seconds from passing out. 

“Alright kiddo, I gotta sleep before I pass out, so you better be getting to bed, too.”

“Okayyy. Good night, weirdo.”

“Night to you, too.”

That last bit of the conversation took a direction that Erik wasn’t expecting but it turned out a lot more positive than he thought it would.

Maybe rambling once in a while wouldn’t be too bad...

**A Few Nights Later**

Erik looked over the maps as usual. They would need to stop for supplies soon so landing ashore soon would have to be considered. Erik pondered about how they were going to do this since they now have a merman with them as part of their crew. There were stories about some ships getting robbed at the port, and although the incident didn’t happen too often, it still kept everyone on high alert. Erik then thought about having someone stay on the ship to watch him so that in case something did happen and there was trouble. 

He wouldn’t mind staying behind for a little while if it meant spending more time with him…

Erik laid his head down in his folded arms, his forehead on the edge of the table. His heart was starting to hurt for him, the beloved merman sleeping serenely in the hammock, and rocking back and forth with no worries in the world. Erik found his glances to linger a moment longer than was probably appropriate but he couldn’t help it.

Eleven had a certain ethereal quality to him that was otherworldly, something rare and beautiful that even just looking at him felt like a privilege that he had been blessed with and he still couldn’t help but sigh and wonder. 

Were the other merfolk like him? Did they also have that exquisite feeling about them as Eleven did?

What was the world under the waves like…?

A noise from the nearby hammock took Erik out of his thoughts as he saw that Eleven moved in his sleep, his sleeping face now facing him. He still had not woken up and Erik did want to disturb him.

 _Well now that’s no fair_ , Erik thought, _You’re too handsome to be ignored and now your face is in my direction and now it’s hard because I can’t help but stare-_

Eleven made a quiet sound and Erik watched as the demeanor on his face went from relaxed to tense like he was in some kind of pain. Erik was ready to bounce out of his chair to see what was going on when he saw Eleven start to toss and turn in his hammock, threatening to fall out. He walked over worriedly to the hammock just as Eleven turned back around to face him, his eyes still shut. 

“El? You okay?” Erik tried to soothe as he gently tried to place a hand on Eleven’s cheek, feeling him trembling. Eleven immediately relaxed at the touch and pushed his face into Erik’s hand, sending the invisible message that he was okay. Erik snuck the other hand onto his other cheek and Eleven’s eyes finally blinked awake to look at him. His bluish-gray eyes looked wet like he was about to cry. He reached his hands up to Erik’s face to feel him, like he was trying to prove to himself that Erik is, yes, standing there right in front of him. 

“Take all the time you need, I’m right here,” Erik assured him as he waited patiently.

Eleven’s eyes widened just a tad, but to Erik, it was the realization that he was going to be okay, that Erik wasn’t going anywhere. Eleven pulled Erik’s upper body forward as if to hug him and Erik took the cue to hug him back. Erik could feel the merman trembling in his embrace so he tried stroking his back. It wasn’t until he felt his shoulder getting wet with warm tears that something wasn’t right at all. Did he hurt himself somehow? Did he scare himself mentally? Did he just get worried about something going wrong and the anxiety took over? 

“Hey, what’s wrong? 

< I… I got lonely… >

“Lonely?”

< Loved ones… Friends… I thought about finding them… I could not find them… >

Erik thought about the time they went star-gazing and he asked Eleven if he wanted to stay. Eleven was adamant about staying but now he sounds like he’s worried about everyone he knew back from his old home. 

Well, Erik figured it was only natural to be homesick once in a while at the very least. He may have not had a real home to speak of but he still understands the feeling, or at least he tries to, anyway. 

Erik still stayed there with Eleven in his grasp, not wanting to leave him alone, especially now. Maybe he could move Eleven to his bed so that Eleven would be comforted by the feeling of a warm body next to him. 

"Would you like to sleep next to me tonight? Would that help some?"

Eleven lifted his bleary eyes to him and nodded a little, just enough for Erik to catch it. His feet sturdy on the crate, he had Eleven wrap his arms around his neck as Erik pulled him out of the hammock and into his arms. Erik laid a soft kiss on his forehead before stepping down and walking back over to his bed, laying the merman down into it. He had already stripped down for the evening, so he slid into bed next to Eleven and helped him get comfy under the covers. Eleven always liked the softness of the sheets which is why Erik laid down the spare sheets in the hammock. The ends of his tail still drooped over the bed a little but that was normal. 

"Comfy?"

Eleven nodded happily, his tail flopping a little. That sweet face was looking back at Erik and Erik still didn't know what he did to deserve this. 

Eleven yawned and appeared sleepy, so Erik pulled him close and wrapped an arm around him protectively. Eleven's face was on his chest, and Erik could feel his soft breathing tickling his skin through his undershirt. Erik planted one last kiss in his hair and soon drifted off to sleep with his last lingering moments of watching the sleeping merman under him. With a sturdy, stroking hand, Erik made sure that Eleven would rest easy under him. He started to slip into a dream of his own, finding himself in a place so unfamiliar to anything he had ever known.

He was underwater but breathing fine.

Erik found himself in a cavern about twice his height and about three times as wide, its violet, rocky walls adorned with the occasional cracks and seaweed. The path under his feet was white sand with the edges of green grass flowing freely to the ocean currents. 

He was alone but not quite.

Erik heard whispers that would brush past his ears, first incoherent until one particular line was known that it could not be mistaken.

Follow the path…

Seeing as he had nowhere else to go, he followed the sandy path through the cavern as the disembodied voice had instructed him. The sand kicked up by his boots would sink back down to the ocean floor to settle. The only known noise was the crunching sand from being stepped on and some faint choral voices from a distance. 

He continued walking down the cavern until the opening to the other side grew wider and wider, revealing what was on the other side. Reaching the end, Erik followed the path with his eyes up above to find a place extraordinary.

That place was a kingdom, one of nautical-themed majesty only muttered and rumored by the sailors of old. It was said to be the home of the merfolk, hidden away from mortal eyes under the waves. The homes of its people were decorated with massive seashells of varying types in hues of coral, white, purple, and red. The sun above reflected light that shone down into the watery depth below, providing a light source for the merfolk inhabitants.

Surely this must be the place that Eleven came from, it was only natural!

As wonderful and beautiful as the place was, it was missing something crucial.

Where were the people? Their absence made the regal underwater land a ghost town. Something must have happened if they had all mysteriously disappeared. Erik decided to follow the sandy path into town, walking past the empty homes. Erik didn’t like this weird feeling one bit but he had to find out what happened to them. Following the path upward, he reached the doors of a rather important-looking building, believing that it must be the ruling home of its monarch. He cautiously opened the doors to find no one in attendance, even the priest’s position was abandoned. 

Fear started to crawl up Erik’s spine; there was something suspicious going on here. After walking a few steps, a sudden current literally swept him off of his feet and he soon found himself being propelled upward to a higher platform. After a moment, his feet landed on a solid platform and Erik was greeted with an awful sight.

A structure that appeared to have once been a throne was now in broken chunks and the entire throne room in smithereens. It was almost as though some great and terrible force had sieged the place and trashed it. In the middle of all of the wreckage was where he stood, aghast. 

_What monster could've done this?_

The voices returned again, this time sounding more distressed and miserable. Erik didn't know where it was coming from but it seemed to be growing louder and louder to the point that he felt it in his head.

The screams and cries of the people became too much.

He woke up in a cold sweat, his eyes wide and his heart beating rapidly. That dream stressed him out a little and now it was going to haunt him. 

Something caught the corner of his eye.

Erik turned in his bed and noticed in the chair that the pearl was glowing faintly. He got out of bed, being careful to not disturb the merman sleeping there. Erik approached the pearl in the chair and picked it up gently, not wishing to break it. After swiping at it, a blurry face of a woman came into view, long flowy hair of gold and dressed in pink and white. She appeared to be in great distress. 

Oh wandering mortal human, there rings sorrow’s steeple/ they cry for help, weep for mercy, the pleas of my people…”

“Who did this to you?

“Alizarin, the dark Demon, he is the evil beast to blame/ But man be wary and be warned, chaos is of their aim…

“If it provides any solace, I have one of your people with me. He goes by the name Eleven, and he was rescued by my crew and I.”

“Solace indeed is great comfort, I am glad he’s living/ One thing I ask of you I beg, rescue him from misgiving…”

“I’ve made a personal vow to keep him safe so you have my word but why is he important? Who is he?”

“The very one you keep so dear, Yggdrasil’s favorite Leaf/ He the Luminary of lore, to save all from grief…”

Erik became speechless at that moment, the realization of it all finally dawning on him.

The mark on his hand and stomach…

Unusual abilities and magic unlike any ever seen…

Has a certain luck that has kept everyone alive since they found him…

_He didn’t think those old stories were actually true._

_**The merman he fell in love with also just happened to be the damn Luminary.** ___

__The new surprise about Eleven being the Luminary didn’t hit as hard as an invisible punch to the gut._ _

__Erik bolted up from his sleep wide-eyed as he searched the room to find Mia standing over him._ _

__“What happened!?”_ _

__“Since when did you start bedding a merman?”_ _

__“Not important. Did you just punch me in the gut?”_ _

__“Look, it was the only way to wake you up. You need to get outside **now.** ”_ _

__Erik shot out of bed, flurrying about so much that it woke and startled Eleven._ _

__< What happened? >_ _

__“I don’t know what’s up, but they need me outside right now-” Erik’s voice was cut short as he looked out the window to see some nasty dark cloud brewing in the distance. Being in full-panic mode, he snatched his coat and rushed out the door to the deck being in complete chaos as they tried to turn the ship around. Erik dashed over to one of the members, Gullie, to see what was up._ _

__“Captain! We need to turn the ship around! Those clouds came outta nowhere and they spell trouble.”_ _

__“Do what you can, I’ll help the others strap down the sails and other supplies.”_ _

__“On it!”_ _

__A sea storm was not planned in the books today, and they had very little time to work with as it was. Erik called Mia over to help tie down one of the masts with some of the other crew members. They were able to secure what they were able to get a hold of, but the elements were not in their favor. There was a strong wind that if they could catch it and turn around, they could avoid it in time before that sea storm did any damage._ _

__Eleven was watching the chaotic scene from the open door of the captain’s quarters. As much as he wanted to help, he only had his tail, so flopping about wouldn’t have done much good. He grew a little scared at everything going on, clutching onto the covers rather tightly._ _

__That was when he looked up and saw the storm clouds get closer faster than normal._ _

__Those were not normal storm clouds, Eleven could feel it in his bones._ _

__In the distance, a massive creature rose from the ocean depths, breaking the surface. Its piercing red slits for eyes shone menacingly from the blackened form of its skin. Becoming more pronounced, the underbelly, stripes, and horn being coated in a blood-red hue came into view._ _

__Eleven’s blood went from warm to freezing in a matter of seconds._ _

__**Those were not normal storm clouds.** _ _

__“WELL, WELL, WELL… IT’S BEEN SO LONG SINCE I’VE TASTED SWEET FRESH FLESH…”_ _

___Alizarin._ _ _

__The waves beneath them began to get rough as it rocked the boat back and forth. The crew held onto whatever was sturdy enough to support them. Erik had one hand on some rope and the other clutching onto Mia like a lifeline._ _

__There was only so much Eleven could do to protect the crew before Alizarin gave a shout, stunning everyone in the boat into submission. He had just enough power in him to shield the ship before the monster in question created a tsunami of ocean water in their general direction._ _

__Unfortunately, the tsunami was too strong and rocked the ship to the point that it tipped over and met its watery grave, slapping against the ocean and splintering the wood holding the ship together._ _

__Among the wreckage of the sinking ship, Erik’s life was slipping from him as he sunk deeper beneath the waves._ _

__Erik was still holding his sister. He couldn’t tell if Mia was already gone, but it almost didn’t matter anymore._ _

__His vision was failing him, getting blurry and hazy with each passing moment._ _

_So this how it all ended, to sink to the bottom of the ocean alongside his fallen crew and the only family he had left._

____

_His last thoughts were about him, about what would happen to him. He was in the middle of nowhere here, that bastard of a monster would get to him surely, Luminary or not._

____

_He had failed, he felt. He failed to save him, to protect him._

____

_That he broke his promise._

____

_Finally, the black void took hold and he couldn’t hear his own heart anymore._

____


	4. The Deep Blue Shoal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dealing with the aftermath of the crew's encounter with Alizarin, the crew discovers that mermaids do exist as Erik feels himself sinking deeper into the ocean of love...

A gentle sea breeze stirred him awake. 

He slowly opened his eyes to find his vision a little blurry but clearing up.

As his vision was beginning to clear, he started to realize that he found himself in the middle of a sandbar, surrounded by ocean and craggy gray rocks. He turned to his side and sat up, looking into the ocean ahead of him. 

Why was he here? 

More importantly, where was everyone else?

He sensed a presence behind him so he turned his head to find a brightly colored figure sitting on a nearby rock. He quickly got to his feet and walked closer to get a view of the figure in person, soon realizing that the figure was not a person but a mermaid. A silver hooded cloak completely dressed the body, leaving only her steel blue tail exposed.

The mysterious mermaid was an older woman, judging from the wrinkles on her face. She looked as though she's seen centuries of the world through her fingertips and had watched the world grow and mature, which she probably had.

She waved a hand at him to come closer as if Erik wasn't already curious as to who the mermaid was. 

"Who are you?"

The older mermaid doesn't say a word.

"What is this place? I've never seen it on a map."

Suddenly he was barraged with several disembodied voices that whispered the words "Strand, strand…"

The Strand. Erik knew of this place.

Then it all started to come back as to why he was here.

_Alizarin._

Erik remembered the bastard vividly since he was the one to cause his crew and ship to go under.

Speaking of which…

"How am I still alive?"

The mermaid in question gestures with her wrinkly hand to come over. Erik obediently goes to where she is and noticed that she had a misty ball of sorts that she was creating. He looked closer to see what was inside.

The first thing he saw was him holding onto his sister on the ocean floor after everything fell and sank. The ship was wrecked on one side pretty badly and the other crewmates were laid about on the stones of the ocean floor. 

The one person that was missing was Eleven, until he saw a golden glow above the bodies that broke off into smaller forms of light as they floated down to the sea floor. The golden orbs were revealed to be mermaids, almost a hundred of them, and they went to help to pull him and his crew off of the stones. 

There he saw Eleven floating down and grabbing the both of them in his arms and holding them securely. Eleven was joining the rest of the merfolk as they all swam to a little settlement nearby, nothing like Nautica but still impressive by itself.

Wait, was Eleven… crying?

Erik felt his heart split into two, heartbroken that Eleven had to witness everyone almost at death's door. 

He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up to see the older mermaid looking at him with a sympathetic look, even though it was half-obscured by her cloak. The hand moved from his shoulder to his head.

He suddenly felt an abundance of energy coursing through his body as he felt his real consciousness take hold. 

Then everything faded to white and then black.

It took a moment but he soon felt himself on a bed. Although his whole body was completely numb, he could feel the sensations of just his breathing.

His consciousness was rising to the surface like an ocean diver coming up for air.

He couldn't move his limbs at the moment but he could open his eyes, so he struggled as a wave of fatigue rushed through his veins. His vision was hazy at best and so blurry that everything looked like an abstract shape. 

Then the pain came back.

He was hurting but at least he was alive.

Two hands softly held his face as his vision began to clear up. He slowly moved his head to see who was touching him.

There he was, floating above him like an angel in flight. His face carried heavy worry, even fear, and he looked like he had been crying with his eyes red and his cheeks puffy.

"Elli?" Erik managed to croak.

Eleven couldn't hold back his tears and just laid his head in his arms to sob right next to him. This startled Erik at the sudden action but he settled down and tried his hardest, with difficulty, to reach his arm over to place a hand on the top of his head. With what little energy he had, he stroked Eleven's hair in an attempt to calm him. He tried to turn to his side but pain shot through his veins which made him recoil. 

Eleven lifted his head to see Erik in pain so he gently pushed Erik back down on the bed in an effort to keep Erik from rising and risk injuring himself further.

< Please don't push yourself. It will only hurt worse. >

Erik just noted the bandages around his injuries in various spots on his body. He also saw his coat being hung in the corner, torn in a few places. 

It was honestly a miracle that he was even alive.

"How is he?"

Erik could turn his head to the sound of the voice and found a stout creature with a fish body and matching fins where ears would've been. He must be one of those fish people he heard about from Eleven.

< He just woke up. He's still hurting. >

"Well it sure looks like it. You and your crew had quite the scuffle with Alizarin but don't worry, everyone of your crew is safe and accounted for."

That last sentence gave Erik great relief. He was beginning to wonder how they were doing. 

"Where are we?" Erik asked, his voice a little stronger.

"Ah yes, you are in the settlement of the Deep Blue Shoal. We are the subjects of Queen Marina, who was captured when trying to protect us and her kingdom for that beast. Here is where we have been until our small army is strong enough to take on Alizarin. Eleven here explained everything that happened and so that is why you're here. You saved one of our own so now we help you."

So that was what happened to Queen Marina in that one dream he had. It was still brave of her to try and save everyone but how were they going to get her back really? Alizarin was a monster of a demon to fight. 

< You look worried. >

Erik just caught Eleven signing to him, observant as ever. Perhaps he was thinking too far ahead. He had to heal himself before he could get to his crew after all, and it wouldn't do any good if he wasn't in the best shape he could be. 

Eleven depended on him, so he had to focus on the things right now.

"How long was I out for?"

"Easily several days. Eleven would get worried and would go around to everyone he could reach to check up on things. At one point he didn't want to leave your side until he almost had to be dragged away so that the healers could get to you."

Erik's heart started to feel a little heavier even though there was only so little he could do. He knew poor Eleven wouldn't be doing so well if his human family was in trouble like this. 

The doctor concluded what happened and left the two of them alone, going to share the word to the crew that the captain was alive. 

Eleven looked like he was ready to cry again so Erik tried to gesture him over and let him rest a while next to him. Eleven floated over and laid his head on his folded arms on the edge of the bed, trying to be as physically close as possible. 

"Just take it easy for a little while, you've been stressed out. We'll be okay, it just takes a little time for us to heal, is all."

Eleven nodded and Erik gave him a soft smile, hoping it would help. Eleven cradled his face once more and placed a small kiss on his forehead. Erik could feel the healing energies from that kiss and any pain he had before faded away. He felt stronger but it was still difficult to get up. 

Just as long as Eleven was here with him, it wasn’t so bad.

“Where is he!?” He heard a voice that sounded familiar. Erik looked past Eleven to see Mia standing in the door, sporting a few bandages but overall looked okay.

If it didn’t hurt to move, he almost would’ve cried. It didn’t stop the tears from balling up, though.

“There you are, you jerk.”

“Hello to you, too.”

“We were so worried! You were out cold and we didn’t know if you were gonna wake up…”

“Well don’t worry, I’m still alive and kicking… Well, at least a little bit. It still hurts to get up and walk.”

“Go figure.”

“How is everyone else?”

“They’re sore but okay. Hearing about you waking up and being alive might help though.”

Maybe it would be a good sign of hope to the crew if their captain was still fighting for life. Mia knelt down next to Eleven by his bedside and remained there. She looked ready to cry, too.

“Don’t you ever pull that again. If you do, I’ll kill you.”

“Can’t promise nothin’, but I can try.”

Mia angrily scrubbed at her face to wipe the tears away but Erik knew that she was just worried. She may be a little bratty at times, but she always did have a good heart underneath. 

“Y’know, there’s room on this bed if you wanna lay down a little while.” Erik brought up to Mia. Mia looked the bed over and found that he was right. 

Would she get in trouble for it, maybe but she didn’t care. She was just grateful that her only brother was alive and breathing. 

Mia crawled into the bed and curled up into his left side. As she made herself comfortable, Erik looked up at Eleven and gestured to the spot on his other side. Eleven’s face lit up and soon the merman was happily snuggled in on his right side.

Was he hurting? Just a little.

But it was so worth it to be surrounded by two of the most important people in his life and being loved. 

**A Few Days Gone By**

Erik was recovering rather nicely as he was able to walk for short stretches before he needed to sit down and rest. With the different change in environment, it kept him engaged just enough to keep him going. 

During one of their walks, Eleven noticed that Erik was getting tired again so he swam up behind him and hoisted him into his arms, cradling the sea captain. This startled Erik as it was a little unexpected but Eleven felt so sure about holding him that he just let him. Soon they were drifting along, the gentle ocean currents flowing by them. Curiosity took hold of Erik as he was like a little kid and taking in the underwater world as he saw it. 

A school of exotic fish would swim by, every slight movement in synchronization.

A lone octopus would crawl a nearby wall.

A beautiful coral reef swayed to the tune of the currents.

It all fascinated him immensely and Eleven thought it was adorable. He even slowed down his swimming so that Erik could see some of the sea creatures a little easier. There was a crab chilling on top of a rock that Erik admired for a moment, looking at its beady little eyes. 

"I don't know what I'd do if I got to see this all the time. There's so much here!" Erik exclaimed, unable to hide his awe.

Eleven thought it was only natural for Erik to be like this since it was all new to him, being underwater and seeing all of the exotic life that lived down here. 

"I wish I could walk better so that we can take walks like this more. I like this a lot." Erik admitted, a hint of pink on his cheeks. Eleven shared the same sentiment by holding him close and nuzzling his hair. 

Erik wasn't sure what to make of being held like this, but he hadn't realized how good it actually was until he got to be held himself. He couldn't remember the last time he was held at all, not even as a little kid. No one ever hardly gave him the time of day except to bark orders and whip him if he messed up. 

It almost made him tear up a bit.

Eleven noticed Erik looking not quite himself and floated to a nearby rock to sit down, still holding Erik. He held Erik in one arm to keep him steady and his free hand to speak.

< Erik, are you alright? >

Erik caught his signing hand and brought himself back to reality. 

"Y-Yeah, I'm okay. I just had a moment…"

Eleven looked concerned but no words were needed as Erik knew what he wanted to ask. 

"Sorry for worrying you, I just… I've never been held like this before and it just felt really good… When I was growing up, I was never really given the time of day and most people didn't care if I died. But… I feel safe with you and… the fact that you care so much about me like this makes me really happy. So… thank you, and sorry if this got weird…"

In that moment Erik was shocked when Eleven immediately responded by holding him close and tight to himself. That embrace felt firm and warm, and Erik didn't want it to end. He didn't realize Eleven cared that much but it made him feel better that he did. 

Hesitant at first, Erik hugged back, giving back the same amount of love that Eleven gave him. 

For the first time, he felt secure and safe to feel like this without mockery or punishment. 

He couldn't keep the tears from balling up and on the verge to spill. It was already too late when Eleven held him close and stroked his back and his hair that tears started to roll down his cheeks as he had his face on Eleven's shoulder, Eleven's head on his. 

If he could find the courage to tell him those little words…

Goddess, he wanted to tell him so badly it hurt, but was it still too soon? He still wasn’t sure if Eleven would like him back like that. Not to mention, it would feel like he was selling his soul if he did tell him, to one of countless sailors who fell in love with merfolk.

At least he could have this, and it was even making him a little sleepy from the gentle sea currents to the gentle stroking of his hand on his back.

He didn’t know how long they were both like that but he didn’t care. He never wanted this to end. He was almost scared that Eleven would let go and that he would never be able to see him again. 

Now that Eleven was back with his actual people, Erik wasn’t sure what he wanted to do. 

He felt a few small taps on his back, which signified that he needed to let up for a minute. Erik rose back up and noticed Eleven’s face had a look he couldn’t quite read.

Was it confusion? Regret? Sadness? Erik wasn’t sure.

“Elli? Is something wrong?”

< You’re worried about something. >

So he was.

< You’re worried about me staying here. >

Erik knew he couldn’t hide from it forever. He knew that this was ultimately Eleven’s choice of what he wanted to do. 

“I am, but… I’ll be okay with whatever you decide to do.”

< Are you sure? >

“Yes. As much as I would like you to stay, I also want to see you happy, too. I couldn’t live with myself if you were miserable. So whatever you decide to do, whether to stay with your people or stay with us, I’ll support you.” Erik concluded, being as final as he could be. As much as it hurt to say, Eleven's happiness was more important so he was willing to set aside his feelings for Eleven.

Eleven was mildly surprised that Erik was so firm on this, though he knew it had to be eating him from the inside out. He knew he would have to make a decision at some point.

But right now, the only thing he wanted to do was spend some time with Erik and the others.

< We should probably get back at some point. >

“Yeah, you’re right. Time really does fly, doesn’t it?”

Eleven nodded in agreement; seeing Erik happy really did make him happy. Being able to hold hands didn't hurt either as they walked down the path back to civilization. 

There was a certain kind of grace that Eleven had as he swam from his chestnut hair fanning out to his tail swaying behind him. 

Erik thought his poor heart was going to stop again.

\-----

It had only been a little while since the crew was in the company of the merfolk, but the merfolk rather liked having their new friends. A crewmate would tell a story about one of their adventures and three others would chime in about details. During the night, the merfolk would be introduced to the mouth organ and they thought it was one of the coolest things they've ever seen.

Contrary to what the merfolk probably heard about pirates, the ones with them were pretty harmless for the most part. 

Erik watched the scene from a distance, sitting on a rock with Eleven next to him and Mia a couple feet away. It was gracious of the merfolk to let them stay for a little while until they got better but his mind wandered to thoughts about the ship. How could that be repaired? What happened to the pearl that they had in their possession? 

Where had it all gone?

Erik didn't know the answer to this but he let his mind stew for a few minutes before he sensed some movement next to him. Eleven looked like he was about to ask him something when Erik turned to look at him.

"Hm? What's up?"

< It's about earlier… >

Wait, was he talking about the decision about whether to leave or stay? Erik wasn't mentally or emotionally prepared for the thought. He tried to keep his heart from climbing to his throat but it still beat heavily all the same as he felt anxious. He braced himself for the inevitable…

< The other day, you called me Elli. >

His anxiety made way for mild confusion; that was it?

"Ye-Yeah. Mia suggested it as a potential nickname during a conversation. If it bothers you, I'll stop using it." Erik confessed, scratching the back of his head.

< Please don't! I think it's cute. >

"You… You sure?"

Eleven nodded in response, apparently really liking the new nickname. The cute happy face he was sporting made Erik's heart skip a beat and his face warm with a pink tint. 

He had no right being that cute.

"Alright, so it's Elli." Erik said, giving a soft smile back. It was a cute nickname, and he was glad that Eleven liked it enough to keep it. 

If that was all it was, then Erik figured he had nothing to worry about, at not for the time being.

The two of them went back to watching the scene, where the mermaids were floating gracefully up and down to the music Erik's crewmates were playing. Even Mia was enthralled by the movements as Erik noticed she couldn't stop staring with expectant eyes. 

"This reminds me of the royal balls they would have on land." Erik reminisced, "The ballgowns women would wear would glide across the floor making them seem like they were floating."

Eleven pondered what Erik meant by a ball. That was a new thing to him and that wasn't really something he recalled having when he was still back in Nautica. 

Erik felt a light tap on his shoulder and was greeted by a confused Eleven.

< What's a ball? >

"Oh, it's a really big dance that usually takes place in a kingdom's castle and it's usually for the nobility but I've heard of ones with an open attendance. They usually dance and talk about things, and there's usually an orchestra in the background."

< That sounds wonderful! >

"I remember sneaking into one once just to see what it was like and it was something out of a fairytale storybook. The guys were all decked out to the nines and the ladies wore these massive ballgowns that twirled on the dancefloor. They curtsy and convince some sap to dance with them, and off they go."

< What is a c-u-r-t-s-y? >

Erik took a moment before the lightbulb in his head went off and realized that Eleven had no clue what a curtsy was. 

Could merfolk do that? It would be kind of hard to do one with just a tail. 

"Oh, a curtsy? Well, this is gonna look bad but it essentially looks like this. It was a proprietary act the ladies do with their dresses." Erik tried to show what one looked like by taking parts of his coat and kneeling on one knee behind the other.

Goddess, this was awkward.

He looked up to see the brightest eyes on Eleven that Erik had ever seen. He knew he was excited but this was another level. Since he was mute, he resorted to happy hand flapping. 

Who would've thought that a simple act would make him so happy?

"Damn, you certainly got excited, didn't ya?"

Eleven realizing that he probably looked foolish, hid his face in his hands, a common reaction to Erik by this point. Erik walked up to him and gently placed his hands on his wrists. Eleven looked up a little from his hand shield to show his shy eyes.

"Hey now, you don't have to be embarrassed. I thought your reaction was cute."

Eleven removed his hands completely and looked up at him with expectant eyes. Erik took his right hand and kissed the back of it softly and it made Eleven melt. 

"If you'd like, I'd like to dance with you, just the two of us. Would that be okay?" Erik asked. Eleven nodded, beaming at him as Erik took his hand away from the gathering place and they went to go on one of their usual walks on the same beaten path. Their hands never left each other, not wanting to let go.

By sheer coincidence, there was a small clearing along their trail that Eleven pointed out. It was surrounded by massive sea walls made of coral and rock. This wasn't a bad spot at all.

"Shall I have this dance?" Erik charmed, holding out his hand to Eleven. 

< Do the curtsy thing again and I'll accept. >

He wasn't going to get off of that, now was he? Well, there wasn't anyone to see him so he didn't feel quite as awkward. So he curtsied again, much to Eleven's delight and as part of the deal, Eleven happily accepted but wasn't sure of what to do.

< So how do you dance like at the ball? >

"Oh, it's not hard. You put your right hand on my left shoulder, your right, and then hold your hand out like this. I put my right hand on your waist for stability and take your other hand…" Erik explained as Eleven followed along curiously. It was a little odd, but there was a certain comfort in Erik's arms. 

"Now for the dancing part, it's called a waltz. I'll lead but we're gonna go around in a circle. Don't worry, we'll go slow."

Erik took the first step and turned to his side with Eleven in his grasp. After a few turns, Eleven was beginning to understand what he meant and so he joined in the turning, his excitement growing by the minute. 

Eleven's heart felt warm so he couldn't help but try to share that warmth with Erik by nestling his head on his shoulder and snuggling into him. Erik was pleasantly surprised at first but held him lovingly under his arm, thankful that Eleven couldn't see him blushing bashfully. 

At one point in their waltz, Eleven wanted to try something, signing < watch this > before hugging Erik in both arms and twirling upward. Erik couldn't feel the ground anymore and tried to hold onto him before realizing that Eleven had him safe and secure. His shock melted away when he found himself gazing at Eleven's sweet face, his heart dancing his chest.

Goddess, he wanted to kiss him so badly.

Erik found himself floating downward, still in Eleven's arms, seeing his tail gracefully circle from the twirling. Everything around them seemed to stop as they shared this intimate space. With one arm holding him tight, Erik felt Eleven's hand caress his cheek and his eyes giving him the softest look. 

He looked as though he wanted to kiss him, too. 

Well, it was just those two. 

Erik's boots touched the sea floor. He gently lowered Eleven into his arms, now the one holding him. 

His hand had still not left his cheek. He's giving him that soft look.

< Please? > Eleven silently mouthed. 

Erik couldn't deny it anymore, having grown impatient with all of the waiting. His heart couldn't stand it and Eleven had just asked for permission. 

He nodded a little, just enough to send the message across. Their faces were close, unbearably close and they still haven't kissed yet. There was a sense of hesitancy between the two of them, unsure if either of them would make the first move. 

So they moved together.

They felt the lightest strokes of lips before going in for the full kiss, a twinge of awkwardness before taking a minute to figure it out. Once they did, to Erik, it really felt like something out of a romance novel that Mia would read now and again. 

Hands holding each other.

The shared body warmth.

The solitary stillness of the environment. 

It all felt wonderful. 

The kiss felt rather chaste but it also felt larger than the world. They broke briefly to stare at each other for a moment, comprehending what they just did. Eleven cradled Erik's face and Erik couldn't help but melt into the touch.

"Can we… do that again?"

Eleven nodded and so they went in to kiss again, feeling bolder this time. Eleven appreciated the feeling of Erik holding him like this. The kiss felt warmer this time and they lingered a little more.

Erik couldn't begin to describe how much he needed this. This softness, this comfort, this feeling of warmth. He craved all of it. Goddess, his knees were already getting weak. 

The kiss broke again but they maintained their closeness by touching their foreheads together. He felt Eleven slip his hands from his face to try and communicate something.

"What is it, Elli?" Erik gently asked.

Eleven appeared shy but his hands were confident enough to sign.

< I… I have a confession to make… that was my first kiss. > Eleven signed, his face going red.

"You too, huh?"

Eleven looked pleasantly surprised, but was glad that he wasn't the only one. 

"We can… do that some more later if you want."

Eleven nuzzled into Erik to show he accepted and Erik got the message, holding him protectively around his waist. They stood like for a few moments before Erik felt Eleven slip his hand into his own and kissed the back of it. He looked like he wanted to waltz again. 

"Would you like to dance some more?"

Eleven happily nodded and got back to position. Erik smiled back widely, his cheeks pink and warm and so they danced some more in the moonlight beneath the waves. 

**Later That Night**

Erik couldn't stop thinking about what happened there. He was beginning to crave that warmth again and hugged himself in his sleep thinking about it. 

About them dancing.

About them floating down together and Eleven holding him.

About them kissing.

Erik thought about it all and his heart felt soft. Especially when they kissed as that was a threshold he never expected to cross. He wondered what Eleven thought about all of it. He looked so happy in those moments and Erik knew he was real about it. 

He hugged the pillow he had and tried going to sleep but his dreams about what happened kept him awake through the night.

**Next Morning**

The siblings were talking in Erik's room as the morning came up and the sea floor became a little brighter. 

"I don't know about you, but merfolk are something else. It was kinda cool talking with them because they're so curious about our world that even the simplest questions hold the biggest answers for them. It's cute."

"Well they certainly liked Gus's harmonica. I've never seen him get that much attention in my life over that one little instrument."

"Speaking of last night, where were you and Eleven? You two disappeared for like an hour."

"Dancing."

"Dancing? That's it?"

"Well, we were and then the most miraculous thing happened."

Mia was staring full-on at him for the answer. She didn't like to be kept in suspense like this. 

"Spill! What happened!?"

Well now Erik wasn't feeling too brave and he probably figured that Mia would tease the hell out of him until the end of time. Still, he couldn't disappoint her plus she looked like she was going to hit him if he didn't explain.

"Come closer and I'll tell you." Erik told her. Mia sat herself down right next to Erik to be as close as she could be.

"Well?" She looked up at him, expecting an answer.

Erik felt a smile creeping on his face and she felt his sister starting to shake him to get him to tell.

"Alright, alright! You have to keep this between you and me though."

"Alright, what is it?"

"We… We kissed last night."

Mia sat there for a moment, her eyes the size of dinner plates. Erik was a little nervous as she digested what she just heard. How much would she tease him about it? He was already bracing himself for the worse.

"No way."

"Way."

"Well go on! What was it like?"

"It was like something out of a dream, it was so warm and soft and just… it felt so good. We were holding each other and we were safe like that and…" Erik rambled hugging himself and falling backward on the bed. He felt warm even just thinking about it. 

"Was it just as magical?"

"Totally."

Mia joined him on the bed as she too fell backwards next to him. They remained like that for a few quiet moments, mulling over thoughts.

"You know I just noticed something." Mia said suddenly.

"What is it?"

"With all of these mermaids around, do you think something happened with the guys?"

That was actually a good question, and Erik pondered it over.

"Maybe they all went to fight Alizarin?"

"That could be the case but there's no boys here or anything. Usually the kids stay behind while the adults go to fight." Mia said to counterpoint

That was another good point.

"Eleven is the only merman we've ever seen and while they probably do exist, I've never heard talks about them unless you have."

"What are you getting at?"

"Do you think Eleven might be trans?"

That question made him stop everything and actually made him consider everything he knew. He lied there for a moment trying to find the words, but seemed to be at a loss for them.

For some reason, it made so much sense.

"Maybe?"

"Maybe? That's all you can say? Do you know how freaking cool that is? I just thought that was a human thing but mythical creatures half-human like that being trans is super neat! Wow, trans merfolk… that's so cool."

Mia was right, that actually was pretty neat. He hadn't noticed it before but that didn't bother him in the slightest. Maybe that was a question for another time as one didn't just ask if someone was trans out of the blue. That would be rude and it's personal. Whether he was or not, Erik still loved him anyway.

It all came back to him again and Erik could find himself sinking even deeper into the ocean called Love. 

"Mia?"

"Hm?"

"I think I really do love him. I love him so much it hurts and I'm scared to tell him because of all those stories about sailors falling in love with mermaids and having it be the death of them."

"Then tell him."

Mia had her unique way of sometimes providing the bluntest answer to a question. Erik turned to look at her as she stared at the ceiling.

"What?"

"Tell him. You're gonna really let those stories scare you? It's just going to eat you up inside for the rest of your life, I know how you are. Not to mention, I doubt Eleven would kiss just anybody, especially for a first kiss, right?"

"That's true."

"So tell him! He means the world to you and the worst he can say is no. If that worried about going insane, we got your back. A lot of those stories were usually about men who didn't know what it was like to hold yourself down and keep it together. You do. You remember who we grew up under and you've got more self control versus anyone I've ever seen. You're just scared you're going to lose your mind and hurt someone, and I get that. But tell him. He at the very least would like to know. I wouldn't be surprised if he's grappling with the same trouble. If you don't tell him, I will." She challenged, sitting up and hoping off of the bed.

Knowing her, she absolutely would and with no holding back.

"No, don't do that! I'll tell him, I'll tell him. There is just a time and place for these things and I want to get this right-" Erik started, standing up.

"-and you will. I just want you to be happy because you deserve it. So see if you can pull him aside and tell him."

"I will."

He was surprised when he looked down to see Mia tightly hug his waist. He returned the favor and the love back by holding her close. 

It was a hug he really needed.

The morning had officially come as the world was now in crystal clear view.


End file.
